sentences:  In 1966, Zinn returned to Royan after which he gave his fullest account of that research in his book, "The Politics of History".On the ground, Zinn learned that the aerial bombing attacks in which he participated had killed more than a thousand French civilians as well as some German soldiers hiding near Royan to await the war's end, events that are described "in all accounts" he found as ""une tragique erreur"" that leveled a small but ancient city and "its population that was, at least officially, friend, not foe.