Based on personal experience, survivor testimony, and documentary research, Invasion 14 portrays the German occupation of northern France during World War I. Regarded by critics as Maxence Van der Meersch’s finest work, the novel is set in Lille, Roubaix, and nearby villages along the Belgian border, with the front lines just miles away and the shelling routinely audible. An antiwar novel that goes beyond the trenches, this book is not about combat but its consequences, providing remarkable insights on the plight of French civilians and German soldiers as each group struggles to survive. A gripping epic that weaves together a vast range of characters, Invasion 14 provides a sweeping account of life under German rule and explores collaboration, resistance, and the grey areas between these stark choices, foreshadowing dilemmas the entire French nation would later face during World War II. Though originally published to great renown in 1935 - and considerable regional controversy - Invasion 14 was neglected after World War II, when national discourse focused predominantly on heroes of anti-Nazi resistance movements. As more nuanced understandings of war and occupation have evolved, Van der Meersch’s masterful rendition of life along the Western Front has enjoyed a well-deserved renaissance. Presenting a new translation along with an introduction and explanatory notes, W. Brian Newsome captures the moving imagery of Van der Meersch’s narrative, situates Invasion 14 in the context of the author’s life experience, addresses issues of postwar remembrance, and positions the novel amid literary movements of the time.

Maxence Van der Meersch's profile page

Maxence Van der Meersch (1907–1951) was a French writer of Flemish ancestry, originally trained as a lawyer. Invasion 14 was runner-up for the Prix Goncourt in 1935, and his novel L’Empreinte du dieu won the award in 1936.

W. Brian Newsome is associate professor of history and assistant dean at Elizabethtown College.

“Brian Newsome’s thoughtful new translation of Maxence Van der Meersch’s acclaimed 1935 novel Invasion 14, which focuses on the French civilian experience of German military occupation in the Nord from 1914 through 1918, offers an invaluable complement to

“Newsome’s lucid and timely translation adds to a rich literary corpus coming to light during this centenary period, and gives Anglophone readers access to a significant Great War narrative.” Modern & Contemporary France

“Van der Meersch’s beautiful novel tackles the war from every angle: the violence of combat, the severity of occupation, the bravery and cowardice of a people. Better than any other account, this text captures the experience of war for civilians.” - Yves

"Invasion 14, a compelling and dramatic story of life under occupation, gives anglophone audiences a much-needed window into the centrality of French experiences of the First World War. Newsome’s introduction expertly and accessibly lays out the significance of the work, the author’s career and oeuvre, and the work’s publication history and critical reception." Richard S. Fogarty, University at Albany, SUNY