Author Description

In this book, a roster of leading scholars, military historians, cultural critics, and writers reassess the events and consequences of the Second World War in Belgium. Each chapter is devoted to a unique aspect of wartime experience and wartime heritage, offering a fascinating summary of all aspects of life and society in Belgium during WWII. These thoughtful and powerful essays explore the turbulent interwar period leading up to the German invasion, the subsequent occupation of Belgium, its liberation, and how the conflict is remembered. The key themes include: from war to war; the invasion of May 1940; the military conflict; (living with) occupation and terror; collaboration and resistance; the war economy; the persecution of the Jews; German cultural policy and the expropriation of works of art; the liberation in 1944 and 1945; the Ardennes offensive and the V-weapons; Year Zero after the war; the post-war processing of the collective national trauma. AUTHORS: Edited by Wannes Devos and Kevin Gony in collaboration with the War Heritage Institute in Brussels. SELLING POINTS: * An in-depth study of Belgium during the Second World War, exploring themes of wartime heritage and history * Written by specialists for a broad and interested public and illustrated with previously unpublished photographs from national and international collections and archives * Published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the liberation * Includes an epilogue by the internationally renowned historian and author Richard Overy 20 colour, 150 b/w images