Le second souffle suivi du Diable gardien by Philippe Pozzo di Borgo (review)

and Allied leadership toward the capital, general Choltitz’s reputation as a “smasher of cities,” and his orders to destroy Paris. All of these elements are vital in understanding the mechanics of the city’s liberation. It is in the second half of the book, where the liberation proper is narrated, that Neiberg shows how the previously contextualized elements intertwine to form the tapestry of military and political maneuvers that would bring about Paris’s freedom. Examining these events in periods of two to four days, Neiberg takes the reader from the seizure of the Préfecture de police by the résistants to the entry of Leclerc’s Second Armored Division, Choltitz’s surrender, and de Gaulle’s arrival and establishment of a provisional government. All the while, the reader is immersed in the politics and tactics of truce negotiations and manipulations, the advantages and disadvantages of urban insurgents fighting better-equipped regular troops, and the clandestine efforts of both the résistants and Choltitz to contact Allied commanders outside the city. The book is well researched, with a substantial portion of the information coming from the memoirs and journals of individuals who witnessed or participated in the events (though one quibble is that a bibliography, rather than just the citation of sources in the notes, would be useful to some readers). Neiberg’s narrative is balanced, exploring the concerns and motivations of all the parties involved in the liberation, and highlighting the political, military, and material intricacies inherent to the stances and actions they took. The author provides extensive detail in his discussion without pedantry. While accessible to anyone with rudimentary knowledge of the Second World War, the book also offers enough substance to satisfy those with a scholarly understanding of the conflict as well. Ohio University Christopher Coski POZZO DI BORGO, PHILIPPE. Le second souffle suivi du Diable gardien. Paris: Bayard, 2011. ISBN 978-2-227-48337. Pp. 279. 14,90 a. The author purports to give the ‘true story’ behind the wildly successful French film, Intouchables, and is, in fact, the person upon whom one of the lead characters in the film is based, Pozzo di Borgo. Perhaps the book’s most striking element is Pozzo’s broad and deep education, going beyond his managerial capabilities . Le second souffle has been reprinted in this volume, along with Le diable gardien, a title that instantly gives a clearer picture of Abdel. The book counters what some view as the film’s ‘primitive racism’ since Abdel claims that he feels respected for the first time, and Philippe entrusts his life to Abdel. The criticism that emotion hides the total absence of thought is disproved by Philippe’s poetic descriptions, references to artists, composers, writers, and the philosophical questions he poses. In the film, Abdel is played by Omar Sy, who superbly develops the character of the diable gardien. The film’s publicity states that Abdel saved Philippe’s life, and the book fleshes out and supports this claim. Abdel, the crazy driver who loves to speed in the streets of Paris and trick the cops (le système D), brings laughter into Philippe’s life. The film’s opening scene gives viewers a glimpse of one such maneuver, of which there are numerous examples in the book. The récit claims to fill in the ten years since Le second souffle, although curious readers could be frustrated by huge gaps in the writer`s personal life—his meeting and marriage to Lalla Khadija and the birth of their daughter, Widjane, for 1280 FRENCH REVIEW 86.6 instance, who are only briefly mentioned. Reading this honest and transparent account of the existence of a quadriplegic is a rare experience, and Francophiles may recall an earlier memoir, Le scaphandre et le papillon by Jean-Dominique Beauby. The book by Pozzo invites the reader into the feelings of the tétraplégique at a deeper and more personal level. His honesty in discussing his depression and suicide attempt lends a degree of credibility to the narrative. The delirium and hallucinations induced by his medications furnish scenes both frightening and bizarre, while increasing our empathy for Pozzo. The extensive care provided for...