England's Last War Against France

Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815 brought two decades of Anglo-French conflict to an end, but the years that followed were not always ones of peaceful co-existence. 

It was an age of empire, of aggressive expansion, and in little more a century, formal shots between Europe’s oldest enemies were once again exchanged in anger.

After Hitler’s invasion in 1940, an armistice had been signed and France divided: the north was occupied, while the client south became Vichy France.

While there were those who resisted, Britain was effectively alone, and concerns grew over the increasing chances of the French Navy falling into German or Italian hands.

Troops were assembled, rounds chambered, and ultimatums delivered …

From the British bombardment of Mers-el-Kébir to the amphibious landings on Madagascar, there was much embarrassment and regret on both sides, for memories of 1914-18 ran deep.

Addressing a period often overlooked in studies of WWII, Colin Smith paints 1940-1942 in a fresh light and challenges popular belief about wartime Anglo-French relations.