It is hard to convey the public impact of France's war to maintain her colonial grip on Algeria.In the late 1950s this ugly conflict dominated Europe's media to almost the same extent as would Vietnam ten years later. It brought France to the very verge of military coup d'etat; it destroyed thousands of careers; bitterly divided the French military and political classes for a generation; and was characterised by extreme atrocities and war crimes. This compact, illustrated study details the history, organisation, equipment and uniforms of the forces involved in the conflict that would lead Algeria to independence.