Where there is myth-busting in the pages of Paris 1944, it is subtle. Bishop’s story remains a celebration of a historical moment when individual gusto and gumption, from within and without, overcame authoritarian might.
The story of Paris during the Second World War has been told many times, but Bishop is such a skilful writer, with a fine sense of nuance and an eye for memorable anecdotes, that even readers familiar with the story will enjoy his book enormously ... History, like life, is complicated, and Bishop’s admirable book treats it with the respect and care it deserves.
The book resembles some epic thriller, with vividly evoked characters all somewhere on the spectrum between collaboration and resistance, shame and glory ... That Bishop can break off from war for some literary reflections is testament to his relaxed confidence as a writer, and Paris ’44 is a wonderful book: droll, moving, with a cinematic eye and not a boring line in it.
There are many perceptive portraits here ... It is in Mr. Bishop’s dispelling of the myth, as perpetuated by De Gaulle, that Paris had liberated itself with minimal assistance from the Allies, that his book impresses most.
The author conducted an extraordinary amount of research for this book, and his experience living and working in Paris as a newspaper correspondent adds a valuable sensibility to the narrative ... A fascinating and enlightening narrative.
