This book provides a new analysis of the contested history of one of the
most violent wars of decolonisation of the twentieth century - the
Algerian War/ the Algerian Revolution between 1954 and 1962. It brings
together an engaging account of its origins, course and legacies with an
incisive examination of how interpretations of the conflict have shifted
and why it continues to provoke intense debate. Locating the war in a
century-long timeframe stretching from 1914 to the present, it
multiplies the perspectives from which events can be seen. The
pronouncements of politicians are explored alongside the testimony of
rural women who provided logistical support for guerrillas in the
National Liberation Front. The broader context of decolonisation and the
Cold War is considered alongside the experiences of colonised men
serving in the French army. Unpacking the historiography of the end of a
colonial empire, the rise of anti-colonial nationalism and their
post-colonial aftermaths, it provides an accessible insight into how
history is written.