"From Saint-Raphaël to London, 1940-1943": a new book on three major figures of the Resistance

A gold mine. Unpublished photos, documents little known to the general public and a pen, that of the writer Jacques Lecugy, all under the direction of Jean-Luc Guillet, to sign a book, published by the City of Saint-Raphaël, rich, detailed and very informative, even for those who already know this story: Le Chant des Partisans , with the emblematic figures Joseph Kessel, Germaine Sablon and Maurice Druon, subtitled "From Saint-Raphaël to London, 1940-1943", has been published and has been on sale since last Friday.

"This book was born from the proposal of the author Jacques Lecugy, 90 years old, who has a double passion: for Anthéor and for history, and in particular that of Kessel, Sablon and Druon, says Jean-Luc Guillet, head of the publishing division at the City. We reworked his manuscript together so that it could enter the City's Collections, enriching it with iconographic research, various documents and thus composing this work."

A book whose in-depth work was very meticulous, "and which insists on a truth that is sometimes little known: Le Chant des partisans, this hymn of the Resistance, was not at all written in Saint-Raphaël , despite the shortcut that some people find it easy to take, tempers Jean-Luc Guillet. It all started with Maurice Druon's phrase, later, in his memories, when he said that in Saint-Raphaël, ''we were practicing our scales for Le Chant des partisans''. In fact, he meant by that that he composed songs, with the help of Léo Polnareff - Michel Polnareff's father - who had a villa in Anthéor, or for example also for the singing tours of Germaine Sablon."

Intertwined destinies, acts of resistance, compositions of musical works... This book retraces step by step the journey of these three heroes from Saint-Raphaël to London, where the famous anthem was finally composed.

"Some Raphaëlois seemed convinced, even recently, that it had been created, for example, at the Hôtel de la Baumette in Agay, Jean-Luc Guillet heard. But the story is beautiful. All the facts are recounted in detail in the book, with documented and sourced elements, thanks in particular to Alain Dubreuil. A historical work which is, in a certain way, a true genesis of the Chant des partisans !"

And if further proof of the great scientific value of this book were needed, it should be noted that the work has received the honor of having a preface by Jean-Marie Guillon, historian – specialist among other things in the Resistance in the Var – and professor emeritus at the University of Aix-Marseille, recently decorated with the Legion of Honor.