Liberators
Liberators
£38.00
GBPIn the autumn of 1944, Belgium was liberated at lightning speed. Yet Allied troops continued to dominate much of Belgian society until late 1945. Peter Schrijvers' revisionist account reveals that during that time, strong currents of discontent began to build beneath the waves of gratitude and admiration. Chronic shortages of food and coal, rampant venereal disease, and deteriorating discipline led the Belgian population to lament 'from the liberators, oh Lord, liberate us'. Despite all this, however, the countries and cultures that the Anglo-American troops represented still exerted substantial attraction and influence, causing them to have a lingering impact on Belgian society in ways that would set the tone for the remainder of the turbulent twentieth century. Using newly discovered material from the Belgian state security archives as well as testimonies of the liberated, this book vividly reconstructs the largely unknown history of Belgium's liberation era.
- A major contribution to our understanding of military occupation and the ending of wars
- Provides a fresh perspective on the liberation of Europe as a modern liberation
- Will appeal to scholars and students of twentieth-century European and American history, military history, the Second World War, war and society and military occupation
Reviews & endorsements
'… a different and revealing view … an important key to a better understanding of postwar Belgium.' La Libre Belgique
'As powerful as it is nuanced.' De Morgen
'Schrijvers brings to life the sights, sounds, and in particular the smells and tastes of the past … an excellent book.' The Times Literary Supplement
'A riveting and important book.' American Historical Review
'A pioneering work.' Vingtième Siècle
'Highly recommended.' Military Review
'Enjoyable reading. A perspective rarely seen.' The International History Review
Product details
June 2009Paperback
9780521735575
358 pages
228 × 152 × 17 mm
0.57kg
26 b/w illus. 2 maps
Available
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Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Part I. The Big Void:
- 1. The sun sets
- 2. Shadow fighters
- Part II. Liberation!:
- 3. Embracing the new
- 4. Exorcising the old
- Part III. Liberators:
- 5. Waves of admiration
- 6. Currents of discontent
- Epilogue: A tide of change
- Cries for normalcy
- Whispers of change.
