Yves Chevrefils Desbiolles places the Second World War in a wider context, by considering the history of Ardenne Abbey near Caen through the prism of the enduring theme of violence. Down through the ages, the Abbey, like many ecclesiastical buildings, had been the focus of conflicts, both secular and religious, and it was to relive the same fate in 1944 owing to its strategic importance in the battle for Caen. Severely damaged, the Abbey witnessed the horror of war when it was the scene of the torture and summary execution of Canadian prisoners of war.