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warspite1 -> RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment? (11/15/2015 5:54:21 PM)
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Allies At War. Simon Berthon
This is the book that accompanies the truly brilliant 3-part BBC documentary from a few years back. While reading Torch I remembered this series and was going to purchase the DVD. However I saw the book and plumped for that instead.
It tells the absorbing, fascinating, and frankly downright frustrating tale of the relationship between the American President Franklin D Roosevelt, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the leader of the Free French Charles de Gaulle, during World War II.
President Roosevelt comes out of this really badly – although I put a large share of the blame on his pro-Vichy/anti-British advisors, particularly Admiral Leahy. Roosevelt knew what it took to get the war won and did it, but it is clear that the breakdown in his relationship with de Gaulle was personal, and it really affected his judgement – much to the frustration of his own generals, Eisenhower (who continues to rise in my estimation) in particular.
The difficult situation was no doubt exacerbated by the ****ly*, difficult character that was Charles de Gaulle. He was often his own worst enemy, ungrateful, rude and never averse to biting the hand that fed him. But one cannot help but have some sympathy for de Gaulle’s actions which were driven by his love of France and I think, acute embarrassment that his country’s reputation and honour were being eroded through the shameful actions of Petain, Laval, Darlan and co at Vichy. The fact that he had to call on the British for help probably rubbed salt into the wounds of this proud Frenchman.
In the middle was Churchill. Clever enough to realise that only an Alliance with the US was going to get the war won, but a Francophile at heart who admired and respected de Gaulle, even though the latter’s actions often put Churchill in impossible situations. The problems between France and the UK post-war were sown during the period 1942-45 as Churchill, needing to win the war first and foremost, told de Gaulle that in a choice between the US and France, Britain would support the US every time. The Frenchman never forgot this remark.
The mark of a great book is being sorry when it comes to an end. This is a great book and has fed my thirst for more knowledge on the subject.
Now - back to Torch!
Anyone know any good books on de Gaulle (concentrating on the war years) and Darlan and/or Petain?
*EDIT - just noticed the asterisks [&:]. Please note I wrote 'p-r-i-c-k-l-y - and not some swear word [&:]
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