During World War II three distinct forces opposed the Allies - Germany, Italy, and Japan. Few areas of the world experienced domination by more than a single one of these, but southeastern France - the region popularly known as the Riviera or Cote d'Azur - was one. For the first time, George G. Kundahl tells the raw and moving story of World War II on the French Riviera.

Following a nine-month prelude, the reality of World War II burst onto the Riviera in June 1940 when the region had to defend itself against the Italian army and ended with a battle against German and Italian forces in April 1945, a period longer than any other part of France. Not only did inhabitants suffer through Italian Fascism and German Nazism but, as The Riviera at War details, also under a third hardship at times even more oppressive - the rule of Vichy France. Sharply intelligent, elegantly written and drawing from previously unseen archival documents and photographs, this is essential reading for anyone interested in wartime France.