Francois Mitterrand

This book traces the prepresidential career of the Socialist French president, covering his early years, his participation in the Vichy government, the Resistance and the governments of the Fourth Republic, and his 23 year march to the pinnacle of national power as leader of the French opposition during the first decades of the Fifth Republic. It is the story of a politician who built a solid majority starting from scratch in adopted political territory, a chaotic world of utopists, anarchists, purists, ideologues, and disciplined militants—in short, the French left. Baumann-Reynolds discusses the whats—Mitterrand's socialism, his republicanism, his Machiavellianism—and the hows—how he reacted to unpredictable events, how he took over the Socialist Party, and how he recuperated the communist vote. This is the first English-language biography by an American sensitive to the gaps in U.S. readers' knowledge of French politics.

This book shows how Mitterrand became a master politican and how he used his skill and knowledge to consolidate his power and win the French Presidency.

Booknews

An appreciative biography of the French leader, specifically addressed to the American public, for whom he has remained a enigmatic figure throughout his career. Examines his family and cultural background, character, wartime experiences, years in opposition, election as president, survival of the breakup of the leftist coalition, unprecedented re-election, and achievements in office. Ends in 1988 when he was just beginning the term he recently finished. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

SALLY BAUMANN-REYNOLDS received her A.B. in French from Indiana University and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She taught for seven years at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and since then has been teaching and writing in the Raleigh area.