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 emigré 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.â€â€”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.â€â€”The Washington Post“[A] pointed volume . . . [Olson] tells a great story and has a fine eye for character.â€â€”The Boston Globe
#831078 in Books 2007-10-09 2007-10-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .70 x 5.65l; .87 #File Name: 0812975952318 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. InformativeBy Retired in ThailandAnyone who was aware of the event at the time can recall the various aspects of the events. Like so many things in the press they were in those days a short lived news item and as such no in depth interviews were available at the time ame and as such not many since. I bought this book after a discussion with friends in my local bar and although I contributed very little to the discussion I do remember the event and the newpaper pictures of Carlsen on Flying Enterprise even though I was only 7 years old; in fact I was the one who raised the even in the pub.So many issues were raised in the discussion I wanted to investigate further. I came across this book and as I read it found it to be very informative in a documentary style it filled in a lot of the gaps and did not move to quickly through events and Delaney did well to explain events and backgrounds I though he did however tease out events towards the end. While explaining a lot of background and consequences of events he did leave the door open for the conspiracy theorists to continue various avenues of explanation.In all I enjoyed the book both from a learing aspect and second from a tale at sea.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well Worth Your Attention!By RayBIt's a good; credible read; well structured and lucidly written.Delaney describes complicated rescue scenarios with the skill of someone very close to the subject. His reverence and admiration for the struggling ship's captain; Kurt Carlsen; is both obvious and well founded.It is not; however; one of those books I am likely to read again and again--it's just not that entertaining. Perhaps; the author's dedication to keeping it real; cost the story in the drama department; as we share in the protracted efforts to save the "S.S. Flying Enterprise".Aptly named; the words "Simple Professionalism" also describe the captain and many other key characters in this true story.I'm glad I read this one!RayB1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. If you love the sea - and adventure - there is simply nothing betterBy Biggest FanCaptain Kurt Carlsen became; in 1951; for a few weeks at least - the most famous man in the world. After getting his crew and passengers off his freighter and to safety in the worst storm of the century (or - to be accurate; the convergence of a number of storms); he stayed on board his cracked and crippled ship; believing he could arrange for it to be ferried to a safe harbor. Abandoning his boat was a failure he couldn't make himself accept; though conditions couldn't have been less on his side. His courage and his strength hit a chord with a post-WW2 culture; and became the stuff of daily newsreels- capturing media attention on both sides of the Atlantic. His New York ticker tape parade was the largest since Mac Arthur's. But he wouldn't take credit for doing what he believed was simply a captain's duty.The man and the ship and the storms and the home-story that guided his decisions is the stuff of this book. The description of life on the deck the night the storm hit - is worth the price of admission alone.The American Library Association named it as one of the top books of the year -- and yet very few people know it exists. I urge you - find it - read it - share it and tell your friends. It's a beaut.
