Free France's Lion: The Life of Philippe Leclerc, de Gaulle’s Greatest General. This item is unavailable.Free France's Lion: The Life of Philippe Leclerc, de Gaulle’s Greatest General

'William Mortimer Moore has written a fine biography of Leclerc, who played almost as important a part as De Gaulle himself in restoring French pride in the Second World War'. – Antony Beevor, author of D-Day: The Battle of Normandy

'Superb. General Leclerc is one of the few authentic French heroes of the Second World War, and in this exhaustively researched and fast-moving account of his extraordinary life, Mortimer Moore does him full justice.' – Professor Saul David, author of Zulu: the Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879

But for his early death, many Frenchmen believe Leclerc would have been their greatest figure to emerge from World War II. De Gaulle himself admitted to his son-in-law that he gave up smoking when Leclerc died, in case France needed him, because Leclerc was no longer there.

From the fall of France until 1943, Leclerc dovetailed his operations with the British effort in North Africa, establishing himself as a dynamic combat leader in the battles against Rommel. But once the conflict shifted to European soil he became even more prominent as the commander of the 2nd French Armored Division. For the next two years he was under the operational control of either Patton's Third Army, Hodges' First Army, at the Westwall, or Patch's Seventh Army in the south. His career not only includes the liberation of Paris, for which he is most famous, but the retaking of Strasbourg and the reduction of the Colmar Pocket.

Aside from a fast-paced narrative covering combat at all levels of command, Leclerc's story will make fascinating reading for any serious student of the full scope of World War II.

Of Anglo-Dutch descent, William Mortimer-Moore was born in 1958 and educated at Dean Close School and University College, Cardiff. He has always wanted to write and, after a detour involving advertising copywriting, property, building and a couple of unpublished novels, William decided to address his love of history and France by writing this biography of Leclerc. He lives in Cheltenham in the United Kingdom where he is presently writing a book about Paris during 1944.

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