First published 2019
In late June 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower leads Allied forces racing across northern France after their Normandy breakout. His plan bypasses Paris entirely, aiming to cross the Rhine and end the war before winter. But the city refuses to wait for liberation. Local resistance fighters take up arms against German occupiers while Charles de Gaulle pressures Eisenhower to divert precious troops to Paris. Eisenhower's military advisers oppose the detour, knowing it will slow their advance and let German forces regroup. Yet political concerns weigh heavily. Both Eisenhower and de Gaulle fear communist partisans might seize control of the city and France itself. Unknown to either Allied leader, German commandant Dietrich von Choltitz has already decided the war is lost. He secretly plans to surrender Paris intact, directly defying Hitler's orders to burn the city to ruins. As three armies converge on the French capital, Eisenhower must choose between military strategy and political necessity, knowing his decision could prolong the war by months.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, military-fiction, political-thriller, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, political-necessity
Setting: Paris, France, Normandy
Period: 1944
256 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster