Monaco: Éditions du Rocher, 1945

After the invasion of France in May 1940 the government retreated to Bordeaux where terms for an armistice were agreed. This essay by Jean Giraudoux (1882–1944), France’s most famous playwright, was written on 21 June 1940, the day before the armistice with Germany was signed. It expresses his despair for the shameful situation that France is now in. This is a unique copy, printed specially for Louis Jouvet (1887–1951), Giraudoux’s close friend, and a renowned actor and theatre director. It also carries Jouvet’s bookplate and an affectionate inscription from Giraudoux’s son: ‘… companion of my father in his death as in his life’.