Klaus Barbie's return to the scene of his wartime crimes in France triggered a collective shudder in the population. For some, the prospect of bringing him to justice was occasion for congratulation. But for others, the memories of wartime betrayal and collaboration cast long and fearful shadows.

Unhealed Wounds sheds light on these events, rooted in the past yet profoundly shaping contemporary life. The book can be read on several levels. It is a gripping and sobering narrative of the drama played out in Nazi-occupied France, when resistance and collaboration uneasily co-existed and 76,000 Jews were deported to the death camps. But the central character is Barbie's formidable lawyer, a left-wing radical who vowed to "put France on trial." Known as "the terrorists' lawyer," Jacques Vergès is unabashed about his connections with François Genoud, a neo-Nazi Swiss lawyer who financed the defense. It is an illuminating journey that enables the author to comment on one of the most hotly debated issues of our time: the meaning and importance of the effort to bring war criminals to justice.

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Editions

CANADA: Methuen Publications, Toronto, 1985,
ISBN 0-458-99820-6

FRANCE: L'Affaire Barbie : Analyse d'un mal français, Editions Ramsay, Paris, 1985, ISBN 2-85956-446-2

UNITED STATES: Grove Press, New York, 1986,
ISBN 0-394-62216-2