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Title: Great First-hand Account of the Algerian War
Review: This book; "St Michael and the Dragon: A Paratrooper in the Algerian War" by Pierre Leulliette offers the reader a first-hand account of the fighting in Algeria during the FLN nationalist uprising in the 1950's and later, the French involvement in the Suez Crisis of 1956.The author served with distinction, as a young French paratrooper, in the 8th B.P.C. (Bataillon des Parachutistes Coloniaux: Colonial Parachute Battalion). Pierre Leulliette left the Army after three years of service and returned to France, but came away troubled by what he saw and what was done during his time in the military.This book is one of very few accounts in English to cover this conflict and is well worth the time tracking down a copy. Apparently this book was banned when first published (1961) due to the details of Algerian prisoners being tortured by the French military.
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