"A compellingly distinctive and original contribution to our understanding of the period". -- John Sweets, author of Choices in Vichy France: The French Under Nazi Occupation. "A brilliantly written and important book that adds substantially to our understanding of the French experience in 1928-1939, as well as the true nature of national security planning and military reform". -- Robert Doughty, author of The Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine, 1919-1939.