A Certain Idea of France'Masterly awesome reading an outstanding biography' Max Hastings, Sunday Times In six weeks in 1940, France was over run by German troops and surrendered. One junior French general, refusing to accept defeat, made his way to England. On 18 June he spoke to his compatriots over the BBC, urging them to rally to him in London. At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered into history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle frequently bit the hand that fed him.