The Blizzard

“’He describes himself as a ‘fiddler’. I’d say he’s more than that: a born crook. He would attempt and succeed in staging the most abject of blackmails — the blackmail of hope. Dressed in a German uniform, he’d get out of a car seized from the maquis and embark on the following monologue: ‘To what extremities am I reduced, I, a Frenchman, forced to wear the German uniform, these awful rags! [...] They’re going to kill you – but I’ll save you, risking my life. I’ve saved fifty-four. You’ll be the fifty-fifth. That’ll be 400,000 francs.’” In Episode Eleven of the Blizzard Podcast we bring you 'The Collaborator’ by Philippe Auclair from Issue One, which details the treacherous life and traitor’s death of Alexandre Villaplane, France’s first World Cup captain turned crook and Nazi collaborator. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions email podcast@theblizzard.co.uk, or find us on Twitter @blzzrd. Philippe Auclair is the author of The Enchanted Kingdom of Tony Blair (in French), Cantona: the Rebel Who Would Be King, which was named NSC Football Book of the Year, and a biography of Thierry Henry. He writes for France Football. Twitter: @PhilippeAuclair Issue One, like all issues of the Blizzard, is available on a pay-what-you-like basis from www.theblizzard.co.uk. Digital downloads cost as little as a 1p each (RRP £3), while print versions are available from £6 + postage (RRP £12). You can also find us on the Kindle and Google Play stores.