Gabriel Chevallier

Gabriel Chevallier was a French novelist widely known as the author of the satire Clochemerle, which was written in 1934, translated into twenty-six languages and sold several million copies. Born in Lyon, Chevallier was called up at the start of World War I and wounded a year later, but returned to the front where he served as an infantryman until the war’s end. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre and Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur. La Peur (Fear) first published in 1930 draws upon his own experiences and forms a damning indictment of the war. He died in 1969.