Next November 9 will mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Charles De Gaulle, leader of the French resistance against Nazi Germany, former prime minister and former president of France. Coinciding with this anniversary, Pablo Pérez López, Full Professor of Contemporary History of the School of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Navarra, has edited the book "Charles De Gaulle. El estadista rebelde". He is the first Spanish author to publish the biography of one of the most influential figures in the history of the process of building the European Union.

Published by Ciudadela Libros, the book is a portrait of "one of the greatest Frenchmen in the history of our neighboring country, whose stature grows the more he is studied; controversial, loved and detested, but undoubtedly a great man, who was capable of dreaming while devoting himself to politics, who knew how to see the difficulties, face them and overcome them," says Pérez López. It also presents an overview of the world, European and French history of the 20th century, up to 1970.

The book's degree scroll sums up the personality of "a man of his own criteria, nonconformist, determined to improve things". As the author explains, "when his country collapsed before the German attack in 1940, he refused to recognize defeat and was determined to continue fighting. This rebellion, which cost him expulsion from the army, the loss of his nationality and a death sentence, was the founding act of his political activity. It marked him forever. The surprising thing is that his rebellion succeeded in putting France back among the victors and the greats of the world".

A combatant in World War I and leader of the French resistance against Nazi Germany, Charles De Gaulle reestablished democracy in France, promulgated a new Constitution that gave way to the Fifth Republic that is still in force today, and was prime minister and president of the Gallic country. His career has led him to become a myth, especially in France: "The figure of De Gaulle evokes the idea of rebellion, of not allowing adverse events to defeat us and drag us down, of greatness of spirit, of determination to sacrifice one's own good for the common good, of intellectual brilliance and fighting capacity. All this, moreover, appears linked to the past of the French people as a guarantee of inspiration and future, and not to the personal qualities he had. It is not strange that the whole country considers him as an image of the best of itself". 

Pablo Pérez López holds a PhD in History from the University of Valladolid, where he was Full Professor of Contemporary History until 2013, when he moved to the University of Navarra, where he is director of department of History and director scientist of Institute for Culture and Society (ICS). His research focuses on the history of the transition to democracy in Spain, comparative European history and cultural history. He has made stays of research in several universities in Europe and the United States. He is the author of ten books and more than a hundred articles in specialized journals and book chapters.