Despite heavy censorship and sometimes outright control by either Vichy or the Germans, the authorized press is a useful and necessary source for anyone studying the period of German occupation and the Vichy government in France. The daily and weekly political press, the press created by Vichy for its Chantiers de la Jeunesse youth movement, its Legion of War veterans and its Peasant Corporation for agriculture show the regime's ideology and priorities. A wide variety of other periodicals, including religious publications, advertising papers, trade papers, and sports papers, provides insights into the professional and local life of the period. This book provides a guide to the authorized press of the occupation period.

With a list of 2500 periodicals, the book covers the more important daily, weekly, bimonthly, monthly, and quarterly publications in Paris and the departments. The periodicals are listed by subject for Paris, alphabetically for the departments. For each periodical, the book gives city of publication, approximate beginning and ending dates, and library or archive where the periodical is held as well as other available information such as the periodical's prewar political position, what the periodical said about itself, its relationship with Vichy or the Germans, and successor publication. If a book or article has been written about the periodical, it is also included.

Leading historians reviewed over 700 books and periodical articles in this selective annotated bibliography of the German occupation of France from 1940 to 1944. Donna Evleth selected the most important works, including official documents and proceedings of colloquiums printed in book form, studies, memoirs, biographies, novels, and periodical articles. She provided both factual and critical information for these works, and she identified authors in relation to the subject covered for each book. France Under the German Occupation focuses on all phases of the period in occupied France: the Vichy government, daily life, collaboration, Resistance, the French Communists, the Liberation, and the postwar purge of collaborators. Separate sections provide a users' guide to the principal French libraries and archives where material may be found and a guide to the press of the occupation period. Works are presented in dossier form. The author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, and number of pages are given for each entry. Next, a short biographical note about the author places the work in context, because many of the authors participated personally in the events they describe. There are often several historian's reviews of different nationalities. The bibliographer's comments round out the entries.