Liberators

In the autumn of 1944, Belgium was liberated at lightning speed. Yet Allied troops continued to dominate much of Belgian society until late 1945. Peter Schrijvers' revisionist account reveals that during that time, strong currents of discontent began to build beneath the waves of gratitude and admiration. Chronic shortages of food and coal, rampant venereal disease, and deteriorating discipline led the Belgian population to lament 'from the liberators, oh Lord, liberate us'. Despite all this, however, the countries and cultures that the Anglo-American troops represented still exerted substantial attraction and influence, causing them to have a lingering impact on Belgian society in ways that would set the tone for the remainder of the turbulent twentieth century. Using newly discovered material from the Belgian state security archives as well as testimonies of the liberated, this book vividly reconstructs the largely unknown history of Belgium's liberation era.

ISBN 0521735572   Volumes 1 ISBN13 9780521735575 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 570 Publisher Cambridge University Press   Published in Cambridge Imprint Cambridge University Press   Series ISSN 31 Format Paperback   Series title Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare Publication date 25 Jun 2009   Height (mm) 228 Library of Congress 2009015142   Width (mm) 152 DEWEY 949.3042   Spine width (mm) 17 DEWEY edition DC22   Academic level Professional / Scholarly Pages 358

		List of plates page
		List of maps
		Note on Belgian place names
		List of abbreviations
		Introduction
Pt. I		The big void		7
1		The sun sets		9
2		Shadow fighters		26
Pt. II		Liberation!		39
3		Embracing the new		42
4		Exorcizing the old		69
Pt. III		Liberators		83
5		Waves of admiration		85
6		Currents of discontent		144
		Epilogue: A tide of change		249
		Bibliography		319
		Index		335

'... a different and revealing view ... an important key to a better understanding of postwar Belgium.' La Libre Belgique 'As powerful as it is nuanced.' De Morgen 'Schrijvers brings to life the sights, sounds, and in particular the smells and tastes of the past ... an excellent book.' Times Literary Supplement 'A riveting and important book.' American Historical Review 'A pioneering work.' Vingtieme Siecle 'Highly recommended.' Military Review 'Enjoyable reading. A perspective rarely seen.' The International History Review

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