"When Benjamin Martin's latest report from the front of French
fallibility does not read like a tragedy, whose end is
foreordained, it reads like a melodrama: sensational doings
punctuated by catchy melodies like 'L'Internationale' and 'La
Marseillaise.' In both cases it reads well.... French life in the
run-up to World War II was a gangrenous decomposition, to be
followed by still worse. The country's leaders found nary a
pratfall that they could avoid. They chose a semblance of peace
above honor and ended up with neither.... In spite of a masterful
prologue, successful synthesis, elegant concision and lucid
presentation (or perhaps thanks to them), the reader can't help
sharing the nation's shames. A tribute to the historian's talent."
-- Eugen Weber, Phi Beta Kappa Key Reporter
At the beginning of 1938, containment of Nazi Germany by a
coalition of eastern and western democracies without resorting to
war was still a distinct possibility. By the end of 1938, however,
Germany was much stronger, the western democracies stood alone, and
war was all but certain. The primary cause for these developments,
argues Benjamin F. Martin, was the foreign and domestic policies
adopted by the French government and embraced by the French people.
In a riveting account of the dark days leading up to France's
defeat and occupation, Martin reveals a great and civilized nation
committing a kind of suicide in 1938. Using movies, novels,
newspapers, and sensational court cases, Martin weaves an absorbing
tale of France's collective fear and melancholy during this
troubled prewar period.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!