The strains and tensions of these early years are reflected in his famous autobiographical novel Le Notaire du Havre (1933), the first book of his Pasquier saga.

In spite of this childhood disrupted by numerous crises, which on far too many occasions caused the Duhamel family to relocate abruptly, Georges nonetheless passed his baccalaureate in 1902.

When the First World War was declared, Duhamel signed up and worked as an army surgeon for four years, often in dangerous situations.

This painful experience provided the subject matter for two narratives which brought him immediate success, Vie des martyrs and Civilisation (which won him the Prix Goncourt in 1918).

Between 1930 and 1940 he traveled to many conferences in France and abroad, speaking brilliantly of French language and culture as well as promoting the idea of a civilisation built on the human heart rather than technological progress.

He showed courage in his opposition to the occupation and the Petainist faction of the Académie française, later receiving public praise from Général de Gaulle.