hugely readable, slightly overwrought history of the weeks leading up to and the eve-day of-day after of the liberation of Paris, compiled into a minute by minute narrative through indexing of interviews. It's cheesy in spots but ably highlights the moments of incomparable drama. dudes getting killed a few minutes before they would have reunited with family, the supreme joy of liberation day/night, heroism, faint but significant noble surrender on part of some germans. Really amazing moment when a bunch of freed jews -- who had been on their way to concentration camp before very long -- shed their yellow star patches in the courtyard of a prison, described as resembling a bed of fallen autumn leaves. also charles de gaulle was like a grand master of being impudently french, but i am maybe late to the game on realizing that. anyway a crowd-pleaser if you are into WWII histories and looking for something breezy. PS for eternity hitler was still the worst dude.