It was on an autumn afternoon like today that Richard Dubois, my friend and editor of the newspaper "Le Petit Parisien" gave me a book entitled "26 Days". I read it all in one gulp and it thrilled me to the point that I didn't touch any food during the 24 hours it took to read it. That day, I was in my studio in Paris and Richard asked me if I was willing to do a French translation. I replied that I would need time for an objective assessment and that I would call him as soon as possible.