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Rating: 
Summary: Unquestionably the best book on the subject.
Review: Alistair Horne does a masterful job in distilling the political, military and social aspects of the Third Republic's collapse in his third book on the Franco-German wars. Starting with the "Grandeur and Misery of Victory" following the Allies' victory in WW1, Horne traces the path that led to the shattering defeat of the French at the hands of the nation that they had humbled less than 25 years previously. Horne examines the men and women whose influence on events was so important, and avoids the dry recitation of times, places and names as he brings the Battle of France to life not only on the battlefields but in the streets, bedrooms, and ministerial offices where fateful decisions were made and battles lost...or won.
Rating:
Summary: This book displays a rare and honest look on the subject
Review: Alistair Horne's story is an honest look at a battle that has been largely sterotyped and forgotten by the American Public. Post war authors have tended to deal with The Battle of France as a forgone conclusion. We have long been treated a vision of the German Army completly overwhelming the Allies while most of the Frence Army was performing garrison duty. Horne reminds us that it was the Allies who had the Germans outnumbered in both troops and tanks, even without the fortress troops. Horne also notes that the French High Command thought that they were winning while the German High Command was convinced that things would soon go wrong. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about World Two than the general works that simply rehash old well known stories.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent account of the Battle of France
Review: As with the first two books of his Franco-German trilogy (the first two are The Seige of Paris and the Commune, dealing with Paris in 1870-71, and The Price of Glory, about the Battle of Verdun in WWI), Horne provides an authoritative and eminently readable account of the events as hey unfolded (very rapidly), and you get a good feel for the key players on each side of the conflict and how they acquitted themselves (one surprise: I finished with more respect for Lord Gort, the British commander, than I thought I would).It's unfortunate that this book is out of print; hopefully, it can be reissued and packaged with the first two volumes of the trilogy in the near future.
Rating:
Summary: So much information it could put you asleep!!!
Review: I was amazed at how much information was packed into this book. I had to order an older copy (one printed in 1969), but I was amazed at the detail. It starts off after WWI ends, the events France takes up to WWII and the Germans as well. Very informative. Full of information. Expertly written... so it takes a bit of talent on the reader's part to fully understand what the author is describing. I loved it, but I can assure you that there are parts that are so informative that they could put a normal person asleep. :)
Rating: 
Summary: A Detailed Account of Disaster
Review: In "To Lose A Battle" Alastair Horne tells the story of the Fall of France in 1940 in great detail. Beginning with the political and military background which lead to French weakness, the reader is carried through to the final collapse and its aftermath. The parts of the book which I liked the best were the beginning and the end. In the early parts we read how the tragedy of World War I set France up for failure in World War II. France had been badly divided politically for generations, a heritage which contributed to the disaster of 1940. The massive kill-off of 1914-18 followed by the low Depression-era birthrate left France with a much smaller manpower pool than had existed in 1914. The memory of World War I, along with the long-standing divisions in the French body politic prevented the French form preparing an army which could maintain the distinguished French military tradition. During the reading of this book, I gained a deeper appreciation of the role played by the Maginot Line. I has always heard that it was the last stand of fixed fortifications. In this book we see how the costs of the Line and its personnel demands drained money and resources which would have been more productively devoted to other units. During the "Phony War" the only effective relief that France could have provided to embattled Poland would have been an invasion of Germany. The ultimate irony is that the impregnable Maginot Line formed a barrier, not only to German invasion, but also to a French advance into enemy territory. The massive middle of the book explains the facts of the defeat of France in agonizing detail. Although the credentials, such as thus usage of this book by the Israeli Armed Forces, suggests that this book has real value for the military professional, the endless recital of names and actions makes it difficult for an amateur historian, such as myself, to maintain interest. In concluding sections, the narrative returns to more recognizable themes, such as the breaking of the lines, the collapse of the Belgians, the evacuation of Dunkerque and the last effort to organize a final defense in France. This book introduced me to the depth of irony in the French surrender. I had known that the French were forced to surrender in the same rail car and at the same location as the Armistice signing of 1918. I was unaware that the Versailles Conference had taken place in the same hall in which Wilhelm I had been proclaimed Emperor of Germany in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War. I did enjoy reading about the involvement of Rommel and de Gaulle, two figures who would play major roles later in the War and, in de Gaulle's case, thereafter. Although this book focuses on French failures, it is balanced in that it does note that the British performed no better than did the French. In the end, Horne explores the question of how the defeat of France influenced subsequent developments in Europe and the world. This book may be a great one for pursuing expertise in the Battle of France but it is a bit detailed for recreational reading.
Rating:
Summary: A Detailed Account of Disaster
Review: In "To Lose A Battle" Alastair Horne tells the story of the Fall of France in 1940 in great detail. Beginning with the political and military background which lead to French weakness, the reader is carried through to the final collapse and its aftermath. The parts of the book which I liked the best were the beginning and the end. In the early parts we read how the tragedy of World War I set France up for failure in World War II. France had been badly divided politically for generations, a heritage which contributed to the disaster of 1940. The massive kill-off of 1914-18 followed by the low Depression-era birthrate left France with a much smaller manpower pool than had existed in 1914. The memory of World War I, along with the long-standing divisions in the French body politic prevented the French form preparing an army which could maintain the distinguished French military tradition. During the reading of this book, I gained a deeper appreciation of the role played by the Maginot Line. I has always heard that it was the last stand of fixed fortifications. In this book we see how the costs of the Line and its personnel demands drained money and resources which would have been more productively devoted to other units. During the "Phony War" the only effective relief that France could have provided to embattled Poland would have been an invasion of Germany. The ultimate irony is that the impregnable Maginot Line formed a barrier, not only to German invasion, but also to a French advance into enemy territory. The massive middle of the book explains the facts of the defeat of France in agonizing detail. Although the credentials, such as thus usage of this book by the Israeli Armed Forces, suggests that this book has real value for the military professional, the endless recital of names and actions makes it difficult for an amateur historian, such as myself, to maintain interest. In concluding sections, the narrative returns to more recognizable themes, such as the breaking of the lines, the collapse of the Belgians, the evacuation of Dunkerque and the last effort to organize a final defense in France. This book introduced me to the depth of irony in the French surrender. I had known that the French were forced to surrender in the same rail car and at the same location as the Armistice signing of 1918. I was unaware that the Versailles Conference had taken place in the same hall in which Wilhelm I had been proclaimed Emperor of Germany in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War. I did enjoy reading about the involvement of Rommel and de Gaulle, two figures who would play major roles later in the War and, in de Gaulle's case, thereafter. Although this book focuses on French failures, it is balanced in that it does note that the British performed no better than did the French. In the end, Horne explores the question of how the defeat of France influenced subsequent developments in Europe and the world. This book may be a great one for pursuing expertise in the Battle of France but it is a bit detailed for recreational reading.
Rating:
Summary: Everything about the Fall of the Third Republic
Review: It's a shame this book is out of print. Horne's book is the best treatment of the Battle of France I've come across so far. Horne prelude's the battle very well with his analysis of French culture and politics during the inter-war years. His detailed descriptions of the major engagements are well written and obviously researched. His conclusions are not forced but seem to flow naturally. The only aspect of the book that I would have altered is to tone down some of Horne's politically conservative prejudices. However, a dozen or so passages does not invalidate this excellent book. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Thriller History
Review: This book is of a rare quality - history told in a gripping fashion, with all the tension of a fictional thriller. It opens with the Bastille Day 1919 celebrations and follows the Franco-German relations, and the internal French politics from there until the war. If there is any criticism of this book, Horne uses quite a few French colloquailisms that are probably lost on the English-speaking readers - lost on me for the main part. But overall, the book is excellent. The primary characters - Gamelin, Weygand, Manstein and Guderian - are all portrayed very well. And Horne had very good access to sources, including many soliders who were involved in the actual battles of 1940 including some who went on to very notable positions in the post-war world. I'd recommend it to anyone interested both in that period of history, and French 20th Century history overall.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book
Review: This is a fascinating review of France between its victory in 1918, and its fall in the summer of 1940. The first half of the book deals with the social and political upheaval in France during the interwar years, and the demise of French military power. The second half covers the debacle from the onset of the 2nd World War through France's fall. Very well written, fascinating and informative. The first book I read by Alistair Horne, and it got me hooked.
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