Contre-Guérilla

Algiers: Baconnier, 1957
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First (and only) edition, Large 4to (9.7 x 12 ins), pp 148, 8 colour folding maps, 4 folding tables of military regimental and bureaucratic structures. Cream cloth binding with red stamped lettering. Slightly bumped top and bottom of spine, otherwise clean. Insides clean. Mail slip pasted in the front showing its original provenance as having been sent by the author to a colleague, a Lt. Cacen. The book outlines various methods and philosophies regarding counter-guerilla tactics, strategies, and theory written by one of France's leading experts on the subject at the time. Bigeard's theories heavily influenced French military doctrine regarding counter-guerilla and counter-terror operations well into the late 20th Century. Lieutenant-General Marcel Bigard was one of France's most decorated officers, and the only officer to have been so decorated despite starting his career as a regular soldier. While claiming to not have been directly involved, he became controversial in later life for his defence of torture as a 'necessary evil' in war. Scarce.

Contre-guérilla est un manuel de techniques de renseignement, écrit par le colonel Bigeard et Albert Lenoir et édité en 1957 à Alger, chez Baconnier, durant la guerre d'Algérie. Cet ouvrage décrit notamment la technique des interrogatoires forcés par la torture, dont la gégène. Il est le fruit des connaissances accumulées par son auteur lors de la guerre d'Indochine et des débuts de la guerre d'Algérie.