by Herbert R. Lottman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 7, 1992
Compendious but not compelling story of the weeks between the Nazis' invasion of France and their entry into Paris, by Lottman (Colette, 1990, etc.). Lottman's knowledge of French affairs is impressive, as is his cast of characters, which includes Churchill, PÉtain, Sartre, Beauvoir, Clare Boothe Luce, de Gaulle, A.J. Liebling, Iliya Ehrenburg, and Ambassador William Bullit, FDR's man on the ground. The problem is that these celebrated figures appear in what seems an endless series of cameos embedded in an impressionistic array of short (often very short) unconnected segments. Luminaries appear and reappear, but their initial appearances do not establish them firmly, and the text is not easy to follow. French politicos and generals squabble, position themselves, insult each other, and reveal themselves as the Panzers move closer, but Lottman relates their maneuverings with a detachment that doesn't convey fully the flavor of, say, the traitor PÉtain or the agile and observant Mrs. Luce. There are some great adventures here, though: How physicist FrÉdÉric Joliot-Curie and his associates ran off with the world's supply of heavy water (for use in nuclear research) is one tale that's not lost in the shuffle. The great cliffhanger is whether and when the French government will flee, a question complicated by the lies being told about that flight. But the sheer mass of names and details combines with flat writing to smother the national disaster created by monumental French stupidity (the Maginot line) and corruption (in military spending). Personality-oriented popular history that's well researched but lacking bite.
Pub Date: Oct. 7, 1992
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: N/A
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1992
Categories: NONFICTION
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.