Wolves in the City: The Death of French Algeria

by Paul Henissart

Book Overview

Wolves In The City: The Death Of French Algeria, by Henissart, Paul This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671205137
• ISBN13: 9780671205133
• Release Date: September 1970
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 508 Pages
• Weight: 1.69 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The OAS versus the French and the FLN in Algeria.

Henissart details the last year of French rule in Algeria which resulted in the General's Putsch and the formation and destruction of the OAS. If the reader is looking for an account of the fight of the FLN, you will not find it in this book. This is strictly an account of the OAS and pied nor fight for French Algeria.This is a account of the guerrilla role played by the OAS in their fight for French Algeria. Henissart details the brutalities of the OAS, especially of the Delta commandos. Salan's role in the uprising is also examined. Since the struggle occurred mainly in Algiers and Oran, this is where most of the history of the conflict is written. The author also summarizes the politics of the Fifth Republic and De Galle. Since the Fifth Republic was so divided politically by the war in Algeria, Henissart gives the reader an overview of the opinions of the French public.This is an excellent book on the last days of French Algeria. Again I would caution the reader that this book is about the OAS and not the struggle of the FLN. One only gets pieces of info on the FLN, and thus an incomplete picture of their struggle. For a more complete read of the struggle in Algeria, read Alistair Horne's excellent book A Savage War of Peace.

How complex can it get when things go wrong!

Such a masterful recount of the whirlwind of events involving France's last days in Algeria! I have now picked it up for the third time in almost as many decades. The book concerns a failing, teetering colonial policy and its impact upon a military sworn to carry it out. The result is a shock wave, where policy ambiguity clashes with the dedication (in some cases, fanaticism) required by a military mindset engaged in the midst of a civil war. The author even follows the detritus from this clash down to the individual level, giving fascinating portraits of the key individuals involved. It is a arresting, breathtaking piece of writing! Nor is it all so far-fetched either in place or time. The book can add a new dimension of perspective to events in places like Northern Ireland today. The work is timeless.