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History. Politics. Military. Nonfiction. HTML:A groundbreaking account of how Britain became the base of operations for the exiled leaders of Europe in their desperate struggle to reclaim their continent from Hitler, from the New York Times bestselling author of Citizens of London and Those Angry Days When the Nazi blitzkrieg rolled over continental Europe in the early days of World War II, the city of London became a refuge for the governments and armed forces of six occupied nations who escaped there to continue the fight. So, too, did General Charles de Gaulle, the self-appointed representative of free France. As the only European democracy still holding out against Hitler, Britain became known to occupied countries as �Last Hope Island.� Getting there, one young emigr� declared, was �like getting to heaven.� In this epic, character-driven narrative, acclaimed historian Lynne Olson takes us back to those perilous days when the British and their European guests joined forces to combat the mightiest military force in history. Here we meet the courageous King Haakon of Norway, whose distinctive �H7� monogram became a symbol of his country�s resistance to Nazi rule, and his fiery Dutch counterpart, Queen Wilhelmina, whose antifascist radio broadcasts rallied the spirits of her defeated people. Here, too, is the Earl of Suffolk, a swashbuckling British aristocrat whose rescue of two nuclear physicists from France helped make the Manhattan Project possible. Last Hope Island also recounts some of the Europeans� heretofore unsung exploits that helped tilt the balance against the Axis: the crucial efforts of Polish pilots during the Battle of Britain; the vital role played by French and Polish code breakers in cracking the Germans� reputedly indecipherable Enigma code; and the flood of top-secret intelligence about German operations�gathered by spies throughout occupied Europe�that helped ensure the success of the 1944 Allied invasion. A fascinating companion to Citizens of London, Olson�s bestselling chronicle of the Anglo-American alliance, Last Hope Island recalls with vivid humanity that brief moment in time when the peoples of Europe stood together in their effort to roll back the tide of conquest and restore order to a broken continent. Praise for Last Hope Island �In Last Hope Island [Lynne Olson] argues an arresting new thesis: that the people of occupied Europe and the expatriate leaders did far more for their own liberation than historians and the public alike recognize. . . . The scale of the organization she describes is breathtaking.��The New York Times Book Review �Last Hope Island is a book to be welcomed, both for the past it recovers and also, quite simply, for being such a pleasant tome to read.��The Washington Post �[A] pointed volume . . . [Olson] tells a great story and has a fine eye for character.��The Boston Globe.… (more)
User reviews
I learned a lot about King Haakon VII, he didn't want to be a king, he didn't know the language of the county that he was to rule! He didn't know the customs but he was completely in the know about Hitler and the threat to Europe. Reading about his escape with his son was a hair raising ordeal. Queen Wilhelminia had been in the know too about Hilter but her warnings were ignored just like King Haakon. King Leopold of Belgium had more pull with his government. He decided to stay in Belgium as his father did and fight. This is just a tiny glimpse about the heads of Europe whose countries were taken over by the Germans were a big part of the story in this book.
Another part that was purely amazing was the tales of courage and daring of the spies of the different countries who worked to bring Hitler down. When reading them I felt I was there with them daring the Nazis to catching me! But also being so careful and resourceful to not be caught.
A third part is reaction of the "last hope island". How the residents of Great Britain reacted to the exiled Kings and Queens and the soldiers from other countries that fought with them. Polish aviators were not thought to be anything special, well that was to change. What was it like to be on this island with so many countries represented? How did Churchill react? What would the situation been like if FDR had listened to Churchill more? How did him being a Francophile effect his relationship with Charles De Gaulles ?
I highly recommend this book for all who want to learn more about WWiI, Great Britain and the Underground Spies of WWII.
I received this Advance Reading Copy of Last Hope Island from the publisher by a win from FirstReads. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.
Olson has a strong agenda of playing up the
Beyond this, the focus and pacing is frequently bizarre, jumping between a 10,000-foot overview narrative and detailed descriptions of the flowers in someone's garden. This is a pretty good sign of a history book written by throwing together index card notes, rather than a carefully considered (and hopefully edited) work.
She does her work well, showing how 20 % of the RAF was Czech and Polish and how the Poles got an enigma machine.
I could not stop reading this book. The people were brought alive right there in the pages. The time, the history, the mistakes & bungles & the people who made history are right in this book. The book is presented so you are not just reading dry facts, you are living the lives and the history of the people, places & events happening . A great book! If you are a history lover or WWII buff or just want a great non fiction book that takes a reader right into the heart of WWII you will love this book.
I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.