François Mitterrand was a controversial politician with a contested strategy and a flawed character. In spite of being one of France's most detested political figures, he was also undoubtedly one of twentieth century Europe's most substantial, durable and statesmanlike leaders. From his much-disputed passages at Vichy during WWII through the major policies of his presidency, Mitterrand's career is a lens through which one can view the anxieties, fears, and instabilities, as well as achievements and successes of contemporary French political history.
In this first major political biography since his death, Ronald Tiersky looks at the contradiction that was Mitterrand and the legacy he left to France and the world. This promises to be the standard book on this great world leader for years to come.
"[Tiersky's] crisp, energetic narration gives both a sense of the biographer's fascination with his subject and an appreciation for the sheer breadth of Mitterrand's experience. " - Publishers Weekly

Introduction: Protean Politician, Contested Legacy * Part I: A Classic Provincial Youth, Contested WWII, Fourth Republic Man-About-Government, Socialist Rose * Mitterrand's Contested WWII: Between Petain and De Gaulle * An Almost Perfect Fourth Republic * 1958-1981: Long Time in the Opposition * Part II: The Presidency, 1981-1995: Socialism, Legitimacy, Europe * Bloomed and Faded Rose: Mitterrand's Socialist Experiment * "The French Revolution is Finally Over": Institutional Legitimacy and National Reconciliation * France & Europe: Security and Integration Beyond Yalta, France, and Germany, American Hegemony, Soviet Bluff and Russian Collapse * Mitterrand's Moralities: Man for All Seasons or All Reasons? * Conclusion: Mitterrand's Legacies