Love And War In The Pyrenees

Book excerpt: A vivid blend of history and travel and a sweeping story of collaboration and resistance, fear and heroism, pacifism and sacrifice all set against the backdrop of the Pyrenees. 'A beguiling mix of travel, memoir, history and good old-fashioned storytelling - a slice of hidden France' Kate Mosse 'Combining memoir, fact and storytelling, Bailey does an impressive job' INDEPENDENT 'A moving account of of the region during World War Two' TIME OUT Over the fifteen years Rosemary has been living in the region, the more she realised she didn't know about the war; about the French during the Occupation, the real role of the Resistance, the level of collaboration, the concentration camps in the Pyrenees and the treatment of Jews and other refugees. It is still very much a veiled history and most of the archives remain firmly closed. LOVE AND WAR IN THE PYRENEES is a portrait of human tragedy, heroism and cruelty that will create a picture of the period from a contemporary angle, the history linked to sights that can still be visited, and brought to life by letters, interviews and encounters with people today, including the historians currently trying to investigate what really happened.