Nineteen Weeks: America, Britain, and the Fateful Summer of 1940

Rating:
Summary: Epic Page Turner
Review: The summer of 1940 is one of the richest historical time periods that a historian or writer could ever delve into. Rarely in the course of human history could one pinpoint such an absolutely critical juncture, a time when the world could have been dramatically altered forever. 1940 was such a time. In one of the great real life dramas of mankind, the western world stood in mortal danger of being swallowed whole by the forces of ignorance, totalitarianism, and extreme violence. What makes the relatively short time so fascinating is the wide swath of amazing historical characters and the paramount importance some of this figures would assume. As author Norman Moss does point out time and time again in his well researched and eminently readable account of the turning point of the modern era, all the marbles were at stake, and our time could be dramatically different save for the efforts of a distinct minority of politicians and statesmen.

Moss starts his account with a very pertinent historical point concerning World War I and its effects on Europe. Europe was still reeling from the mass charnel house that was the Great War. It's males had been slaughtered and wounded almost wholesale, and the very idea of war was just ludicrous to most Europeans. For any cause there was little appetite for any kind of military action. I always feel this idea is never really harked on enough, as blame is often laid on appeasing politicians while populations get off scot free. So, as Hitler rose, the people of Europe huddled like sheep, willing to endorse any injustice or give any tribute to Chancellor Hitler, one of the few Europeans who realized how he could take advantage of the docile like state of Europe. Moss takes us through a long tour of Europe, concentrating on Britain and France. Both were led by weak and standoffish men who were determined to avoid war, although Moss does give Chamberlain a bit of a break, undeservedly in my opinion. They gave Hitler what he wanted and many in their home countries were just fine with that. Only a few advocates, such as Winston Churchill, recognized the inherent danger in the Nazi regime, but they were ignored and decried as "warmongers."

Once the war started, the people and their governments were painfully slow to action. The deficiencies of the French state and its army are derided to a painful extent in this book. There was a total lack of planning and understanding concerning the Nazi war machine and its methods. Britain too was lost in a wilderness of indecision and political turmoil, as many felt Hitler would be a good ally against the communist east. The French collapsed under the weight of the Nazi onrush and Britain stood alone, with an army horrendously un equipped to fight off an invading German force. As we all know, only the RAF stood in their way, and their bravery arguably saved all of the democratic world.

The best part of Moss' book is his understanding of the entire world situation at the time. His description of the internal debates that took place in Britain and France are really interesting excerpts, with the fateful meeting between Churchill and Halifax taking the award for most dramatic. We are not allowed to forget that many were perfectly willing to trade their freedom for the security of an all powerful continental Third Reich. This hellish misunderstanding found a home in America as well, and Moss does a wonderful job in describing the forces lined up against any kind of government involvement in the "European" war. FDR worked tirelessly to support the British, even as he fought off the powerful domestic forces that sought to fight every activity he endorsed. The book is just a wonderful piece of popular history, never sacrificing historical fact for dramatic affect. Not that it needed to with such an engaging story.

Rating:
Summary: Epic Page Turner
Review: The summer of 1940 is one of the richest historical time periods that a historian or writer could ever delve into. Rarely in the course of human history could one pinpoint such an absolutely critical juncture, a time when the world could have been dramatically altered forever. 1940 was such a time. In one of the great real life dramas of mankind, the western world stood in mortal danger of being swallowed whole by the forces of ignorance, totalitarianism, and extreme violence. What makes the relatively short time so fascinating is the wide swath of amazing historical characters and the paramount importance some of this figures would assume. As author Norman Moss does point out time and time again in his well researched and eminently readable account of the turning point of the modern era, all the marbles were at stake, and our time could be dramatically different save for the efforts of a distinct minority of politicians and statesmen.

Moss starts his account with a very pertinent historical point concerning World War I and its effects on Europe. Europe was still reeling from the mass charnel house that was the Great War. It's males had been slaughtered and wounded almost wholesale, and the very idea of war was just ludicrous to most Europeans. For any cause there was little appetite for any kind of military action. I always feel this idea is never really harked on enough, as blame is often laid on appeasing politicians while populations get off scot free. So, as Hitler rose, the people of Europe huddled like sheep, willing to endorse any injustice or give any tribute to Chancellor Hitler, one of the few Europeans who realized how he could take advantage of the docile like state of Europe. Moss takes us through a long tour of Europe, concentrating on Britain and France. Both were led by weak and standoffish men who were determined to avoid war, although Moss does give Chamberlain a bit of a break, undeservedly in my opinion. They gave Hitler what he wanted and many in their home countries were just fine with that. Only a few advocates, such as Winston Churchill, recognized the inherent danger in the Nazi regime, but they were ignored and decried as "warmongers."

Once the war started, the people and their governments were painfully slow to action. The deficiencies of the French state and its army are derided to a painful extent in this book. There was a total lack of planning and understanding concerning the Nazi war machine and its methods. Britain too was lost in a wilderness of indecision and political turmoil, as many felt Hitler would be a good ally against the communist east. The French collapsed under the weight of the Nazi onrush and Britain stood alone, with an army horrendously un equipped to fight off an invading German force. As we all know, only the RAF stood in their way, and their bravery arguably saved all of the democratic world.

The best part of Moss' book is his understanding of the entire world situation at the time. His description of the internal debates that took place in Britain and France are really interesting excerpts, with the fateful meeting between Churchill and Halifax taking the award for most dramatic. We are not allowed to forget that many were perfectly willing to trade their freedom for the security of an all powerful continental Third Reich. This hellish misunderstanding found a home in America as well, and Moss does a wonderful job in describing the forces lined up against any kind of government involvement in the "European" war. FDR worked tirelessly to support the British, even as he fought off the powerful domestic forces that sought to fight every activity he endorsed. The book is just a wonderful piece of popular history, never sacrificing historical fact for dramatic affect. Not that it needed to with such an engaging story.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating view of a neglected part of WWII
Review: This book focuses on Britain's role in the lead up and beginning of World War II. The critical relationship of Roosevelt and Churchill is thoroughly explored. Given the ridiculous redundancy of books concerning D-Day, this is a most welcome addition to the relatively neglected, but critical, role of Britain as the only western, democratic nation opposing the Germans until the entry of the US in 1941. The book is very readable and covers the importance of influencing public opinion rather than the military details of the engagements. The book details the gradual shift of the relationship between Britain and the US. Britain was a superpower at the start of the war but the US supplanted it as a result of the war. Britain's dependence on US assistance is carefully explored. Very highly recommended.