As the title suggests, this is a gripping story of French resistance to the Nazis in the Second World War. It begins with the German conquest of France and the partition of the country between the German occupied areas, including Paris, and the nominally independent Vichy sector, and continues throughout the war including reunification of the country under total Nazi control. Eventually, it concludes with the end of the occupation with the Allied victory over the Germans. The author is the daughter of Andree Griotteray, the subject of this book, who, starting as a teenager, worked in police headquarters in Paris for much of the war.

Initially, through her brother’s activities in the French resistance, Andree brilliantly uses her access to police information to assist his endeavors, smuggling I.D. cards to Jews trying to escape from the country. In this they are very successful. Eventually, Andree becomes a carrier herself taking many risky assignments that are described in telling detail. Eventually, Andree is integrated into the American OSS which by then is pursuing similar goals throughout Nazi-occupied Europe.

Francelle Bradford White is well placed to tell this story, both by her closeness to her mother and uncle and by her research into such records as she could find of their activities. The direct information about the nature of the Nazi occupation, the different attitudes of the French towards the occupation, and the experiences of many Jews is both revealing and provocative. Especially interesting is the emphasis on food, particularly its scarcity, and the pleasure derived from it for those fortunate enough to enjoy a good meal.

However, The Paris Girl is marred by several significant weaknesses. Although the story is important and this particular one may not be well enough known, it is poorly written and is fitfully told. The author jumps around chronologically and topically in a way that makes it hard to follow, leaving huge gaps in the through line. The large numbers of people named also adds to the difficulty of keeping the whole saga straight. The Bibliography and Sources are a help in this regard as is the Acknowledgement section, although the Notes are very skimpy, suggesting a lack of thorough research that could have added weight to the subject. The determination and bravery of not only Andree, but of so many other French men and women under the weight of occupation, comes across very clearly in this telling. That makes it all the more galling that their history is diminished by being so confusingly told.

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Our Reviewer: Prof Williams, former visiting professor at Annapolis, and Executive Director Emerita of The New York Military Affairs Symposium, is the author of several books on naval history and technology, including Secret Weapon: U.S. High-Frequency Direction Finding in the Battle of the Atlantic, Grace Hopper: Admiral of the Cyber Sea, The Measure of a Man: My Father, the Marine Corps, and Saipan, and most recently Painting War: George Plante's Combat Art in World War II. Prof Williams’ previous reviews include The Trident Deception, Battleship Commander: The Life of Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee Jr., Churchill, Master and Commander, Admiral Hyman Rickover, Allied Air Operations, 1939-1940, Nimitz at War, Global Military Transformations, Great Naval Battles of the Pacific War, Fighting in the Dark: Naval Combat at Night, 1904-1939, Leyte Gulf: A New History of the World's Largest Sea Battle, Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II, Delivering Destruction, and The Cambridge Companion to Winston Churchill.

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Note: The Paris Girl is also available in e-editions.

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