Rating: 
Summary: Nineteen Weeks -- Pivot Point for Democracy
Review: "The world changed forever during nineteen weeks in the spring and summer of 1940," Moss begins in this stupendous history of Britain and America, Churchill and Roosevelt, and "ordinary" people in both countries who wanted peace but faced up to war. The period can be precisely measured, Moss writes, dating from May 10 - the day Germany began the blitz into France and Churchill became Prime Minister. The fateful decisions made in this short span boggle the mind. It is hard to imagine a time so fraught with peril for the democratic ideal or one in which men and women rose to such great heights to defend it. When asked what year of his long and dramatic life he would live again, Churchill replied, "1940, every time." These 19 weeks also gave us some of the greatest political oratory ever, almost all from Churchill. No matter how familiar this story is to the reader, Moss's account of war in Europe, politics in America and the relationship between the two is absolutely gripping.
Rating:
Summary: Nineteen Weeks -- Pivot Point for Democracy
Review: "The world changed forever during nineteen weeks in the spring and summer of 1940," Moss begins in this stupendous history of Britain and America, Churchill and Roosevelt, and "ordinary" people in both countries who wanted peace but faced up to war. The period can be precisely measured, Moss writes, dating from May 10 - the day Germany began the blitz into France and Churchill became Prime Minister. The fateful decisions made in this short span boggle the mind. It is hard to imagine a time so fraught with peril for the democratic ideal or one in which men and women rose to such great heights to defend it. When asked what year of his long and dramatic life he would live again, Churchill replied, "1940, every time." These 19 weeks also gave us some of the greatest political oratory ever, almost all from Churchill. No matter how familiar this story is to the reader, Moss's account of war in Europe, politics in America and the relationship between the two is absolutely gripping.
Rating:
Summary: Pivotal time in world history receives solid treatment
Review: As a youngster, my understanding of World War II was when the United States formally entered after Pearl Harbor. Only some years later did it become clear that formal war declarations began almost twenty-seven months earlier, in September 1939. It seems likely that many Americans, especially with our poor or incomplete knowledge of history labored (and some continue to labor on) under the same misconception.Moss does a wonderful job of filling such a gap in an understanding of the Great War. There was a 27-month delay between England's declaration of war on Germany and Germany's declaration of war on America (Another refresher: On December 8, America declared war on Japan, not Germany; four days later, Germany declared war on the United States for the Nazi ally.). More critical the conduct of the war were these nineteen weeks of 1940, generally commencing with the escape from Dunkirk in May and concluding with the deciphered message in late September that Hitler had called off the airborne invasion troops, signifying the delay (and, eventually, cancellation) of the invasion of England across the English Channel. Under the Nazi wave of terror, England and much of the world were pretty grim in early 1940. Moss shows how much of the change foe the better came about from the slow if certain evolution of America from an isolationist country, to an anti-Nazi sentiment, to a pretty solid pro-British sentiment by late 1940. At one desperate moment, England and France considered unifying under a single government. Even the pessimism of Joe Kennedy, the American ambassador to England and father of future president John Kennedy, could not match the determination of the English. This was their "finest hour" and Winston Churchill personified their ability to stand up to the seemingly inevitable Nazi win. More than sixty years have passed and it leaves some believing that eventual Allied victory was preordained. While the seeds of victory were planted in acts like the miraculous Dunkirk exodus, the decision by Roosevelt to send fifty desperately needed destroyers to submarine-ravaged England, and the strategic misfire by Hitler to leave behind the RAF airfields and to bomb English cities, victory was no foregone conclusion, no Hollywood-like heroics just waiting to be written. This was a highly uncertain, life-and-death struggle. When the Blitz - a shift to terror bombing of London -- commenced in early September 1940, much of London life went on, albeit with some adjustments. Morale remained persistently high. Few people cracked under the pressure, despite the unprecedented bombing deaths of first hundreds and then thousands of English began. Some people relished the uncertainty and the struggle to survive and to triumph. The adrenalin ran high despite the grey, smoky days and flame-filled nights. By war's end, twenty percent of English casualties were civilian, many of them living in their own homes. By German and English estimates as to the devastation produced were too high. Economies and people managed to work through the worst imaginable. Using diaries, newspapers, public opinion polls and observations, Moss weaves a highly readable tale of life, shifting from continental Europe as the early stages of the war unfold, and moving to England and America during that fateful summer, focusing primarily on Roosevelt and Churchill but, more enlighteningly, offering detailed glimpses of domestic policies and people in both countries doing that critical time. From British propaganda to an analysis of the isolationist and pro-British movements, Moss creates a time and place feel for that summer which, by all accounts, was a glorious, dry, blue English summer that year. Another note: With war, the daily weather forecasts became a matter of national security, so most Englishmen could only experience the weather, not hear a forecast. The end of the war marked the return of broadcast weather forecasts. Moss has to start a bit slowly. These nineteen weeks are preceded by years of recrimination and stubbornness resulting fro the first Great War. He explains the context for these memorable nineteen weeks. Most important to our generation and to history, he shows that perseverance in the face of adversity was not only critical, it was not always welcomed. Many soon-to-be-Allies - French, English and American -- would have accepted a peace with Germany in 1940, mostly in German terms. Few would have predicted in that same year that the tables would turn completely within five years. Moss provides a useful, smooth (although by now also pretty well known to many and well known to historians of this war), journalistic coverage of this important time.
Rating:
Summary: Account of a critical period is a page turner
Review: I just finished 19 Weeks. It's great. Moss focuses on a pivotal moment in world history, the summer of 1940, when Britain stood alone against the Nazi war machine and the US teetered on the brink of joining her. It's thorough, rich in historical detail and a page turner. We get both the broad sweep of world events and the evocative detail. The evacuation at Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain and the nuanced dance between Churchill and Roosevelt come alive through anecdotes, recollections of those involved and most of all through the author's lively prose and deep appreciation for the singular importance of this summer.
Rating: 
Summary: Bumed out
Review: I typed in two (2) versions of a review of Moss's book. I typed one and waited two days. Nothing happened. Then I typed a second, still nothing happened. Could you suggest why my reviews never appeared? I do not believe they were inaccurate or controversial. But until I find out what happened, I will not bother writing any more.
Rating:
Summary: The Dramatic Summer of 1940
Review: Norman Moss's "19 Weeks" (England and America in the Fateful Summer of 1940) appears to be influenced by John Lukacs' "5 Days in London, May 1940." The pivotal drama in both books is the British decision to not deal with Hitler during of after the debacle at Dunkirk, but to stand and fight until North America entered the war on Britain's side. This decision was a self-sacrificial one on Bratain's part, because it cost them their empire and their status as a world super power. But as both Moss and Lukacs emphasize, the world is a much better place because they made the choice they did. Moss expands the context of this decision to encompass the whole summer of 1940, from Hitler's invasion of France in May to the successful conclusion of the Battle of Britain in September. (Hence the title, "19 Weeks.") Moss also looks back in time to WW I and forward in time to Hitler's declaring war on the U.S. on December 11th 1941. This narrative filled in many features of the story left blank by Kukacs' much more compressed temporal boundaries. Moss includes the struggle between the interenationalists and the isolationists in the U.S., a struggle with culminated in the Republican selection of the internationalist Wendell Willkie to run against Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election. Britain won over American public opinion by the shere power of its moral stand against fascism. But that battle was not really won until after Roosevelt was re-elected. One fact which I learned from Moss was that Roosevelt's sale of Infantry arms to Britain immediately after Dunkirk included 500 French 75 artillery pieces as well as 500,000 Enfield rifles and 500 mortars and machine guns (along with lots of ammo). The rifles and machine guns were of little help to the British Army, as the American 30-06 round was completely incompatible with the British 303 round. The rifles were used mainly to arm the Home Guard and for training. But the artillery pieces and mortars were crucial for re-constituting the post-Dunkirk British Army, as the British lost all their artillery and other heavy equipment on the beaches at Dunkirk. Lukacs never mentioned anything beyond the sale of the rifles.
In one lapse of fact, Moss refers to the German attack on London in 1944 my means of "flying bombs" and "V-1 and V-2 rockets." That seems to betray ignorance of the fact that V-1's were flying bombs, not rockets. I can only hope that was a slip and the rest of the book is as factually sound as it seems to be. Fred Hallberg
Rating:
Summary: Summer, 1940; Turning Point of 20th Century
Review: Norman Moss's "19 Weeks: America, Britain, and the Fateful Summer of 1940" should be read together with John Lukacs' "Five Days in London; May, 1940." Both authors agree the summer of 1940 was a crucial turning point. If England had chosen to negotiate with Hitler, rather than to stand and fight, and if they had failed to deploy radar in time they could have lost control of the air over the south of England, and the German invasion would have gone forward. In either case the future for western democracy would have been much more bleak than it has proved to be. Lukacs concentrates on a narrow period of time (five days in May) when Churchill persuaded his war cabinet to reject Hitler's offer to negotiate, despite some like Lord Halifax, who advocated seeking a deal. Moss expands his horizon to include everything from the invasion of France in May to the successful conclusion of the Battle of Britain at the end of September. He also looks back to the English and American experience of WW I, and forward to Hitler's declaration of war on December 11, 1940, which ended the controversy between the American isolationists and internationalists. Moss makes clear how determined most Americans were to avoid war, and how hard it was for Roosevelt to support Britain within the bounds of legality. Moss claims it was the Republican nomination of the internationalist Wendell Willkie as their standard bearer in the 1940 presidential election which enabled Roosevelt to support the British without risking losing the election on that account.
Moss gives much more detail about the material support Roosevelt gave Churchill than I have found anywhere else. Many mention the selling of 500,000 bolt action rifles (with ammo completely incompatible with the British standard). But no one else I have read has mentioned the sale of 500 WW I French-style 75 mm field guns. This would have greatly strengthened Britain's infantry battalions, which had lost almost all their field artillery at Dunkirk. Moss made one startling error of fact. He referred to German "flying bombs and V-1 and V-2 rockets," which suggests he does not know the V-1's were flying bombs. I can only hope the rest of his factual claims are reliable. This is a very helpful book for anyone interested in the "might have been's" concerning the origins of WW II. Fred Hallberg
Rating:
Summary: Summer of 1940, Lynchpin of History
Review: Norman Moss, John Lukacs, and Winston Churchill all agree the summer of 1940 was the most significant and dramatic event of our time. This was when Britain stood alone against the Nazi onslaught. They did have the choice of trying to negotiate a deal, or failing that, they might well have been overrun anyway. If Britain had been eliminated as a barrier to Hitler's ambitions, Moss and Lukacs agree, the world would have been much worse off. It was a near thing. If the British has failed to escape at Dunkirk, they probably could not have continued the struggle. If they had failed to deploy radar in time, they might have lost air superiority over southern England, and the German invasion would have gone forward. None of this happened, but only because Britain decided to make a stand, and then successfully held its ground until Hitler declared war on the U.S. at the end of December. There were many reasons why Britain made its decision to stand fast, and as to why it was able to hold on until the U.S. entered the war on its side. John Lukacs, in "5 Days in London, May 1940," focuses on the personality and values of Churchill, and on his ability to stand up to those who would have chosen to negotiate, like Lord Halifax. Norman Moss expands the scope of his investigation to include Roosevelt and the presidential campaing of 1940, which finally led Americans out of isolationism to support Britain against Hitler. The greatest help to Roosevelt in bringing about this transition was the Republican nomination of Wendell Willkie, a committed internationalist. Once Willkie was nominated, Roosevelt could act in support of Britain without risking losing his election on that account. Moss gives many details of the help Roosevelt rendered the British which I have not been able to find elsewhereanywhere. Many sources report the sale of 500,000 Enfield rifles to England. But these were of limited use, because the American rifle cartridge is completely incompatible with the British. It would have caused hopless confusion if maneuver units used such different ammunition. So these rifles were used mainly for training and to arm the Home Guard. Moss mentions that 500 old French 75 mm field guns and their ammunition were included in the deal. This was an entirely different matter. The British had lost almost all their 25 pounder (90 mm) field guns at Dunkirk, and their infantry would have been nearly helpless without artillery support. These 500 field guns would have filled the gap until new 25 pounders could have been manufactured (by late spring of 1941). The 50 American destroyers arrived almost too late to be of use. The first eight were handed over at Halifax Nova Scotia on September 9. But two collided and had to be repaired, and a third broke down before crossing the Atlantic. Once in England these obsolete ships had to be fitted with modern sonar and radar before they could be used. So the danger of invasion had largely passed before these ships could make a difference. Their value was mainly as a symbol of America's commitment to Britain's survival. But the British navy did appreciate being able to use the first dozen as patrol boats during the winter of 1940-41. Moss made one surprising error of fact. He referred to "flying bombs and V-1 and V-2 rockets", apparently not realizing the V-1's were flying bombs. Moss portray's Britain's decision to stand against Hitler as a self-sacrificial act. It cost them both their empire and their standing as a world super power. We can only be grateful they made the choices they did.
Fred Hallberg
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful new account
Review: The account of what England went through following Dunkirk, prior to the U.S or Russia entering the war is an extra ordinary story. In May 1940 Hitler invaded France and by June the British had evacuated Dunkirk, leaving behind 1000 guns but saving 300,000 soldiers to fight another day. England was alone, Churchill's "Fortress" which he vowed Hitler would have to `contend with'. All seemed lost, with more then 10 nations under the Nazis Yoke all of Europe was under Fascist rule. But these 19 weeks showed the resolve, not only in England, but also in America of the English Speaking brethren to defend the world from evil. Here we have the story of two men, FDR and Churchill, prepared to fight to the last to save the free world from the world of communist or fascist domination. This is wonderful telling of this story. From the skies over London to the radar stations in Dover to the America First party to the halls of Congress a wonderful tale of politics and diplomacy and public opinion is told. In the end it was these 19 weeks which saved the world, literally. Seth J. Frantzman
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful new account
Review: The account of what England went through following Dunkirk, prior to the U.S or Russia entering the war is an extra ordinary story. In May 1940 Hitler invaded France and by June the British had evacuated Dunkirk, leaving behind 1000 guns but saving 300,000 soldiers to fight another day. England was alone, Churchill's "Fortress" which he vowed Hitler would have to 'contend with'. All seemed lost, with more then 10 nations under the Nazis Yoke all of Europe was under Fascist rule. But these 19 weeks showed the resolve, not only in England, but also in America of the English Speaking brethren to defend the world from evil. Here we have the story of two men, FDR and Churchill, prepared to fight to the last to save the free world from the world of communist or fascist domination. This is wonderful telling of this story. From the skies over London to the radar stations in Dover to the America First party to the halls of Congress a wonderful tale of politics and diplomacy and public opinion is told. In the end it was these 19 weeks which saved the world, literally. Seth J. Frantzman
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