
Last Hope Island
Britain, Occupied Europe, and the Brotherhood That Helped Turn the Tide of War
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Narrated by:
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Arthur Morey
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Kimberly Farr
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By:
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Lynne Olson
About this listen
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 best-selling 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 best-selling 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.
©2017 Lynne Olson (P)2017 Random House AudioCritic reviews
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Always great books
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Provides a more complete understanding of WWII
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The backstory to WWII
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Why have we humans not learned from these terrible lessons of man’s inhumanity to man? I found I could only read a few chapters at a time because of the depth of that inhumanity. Though there were moments of exceeding bravery and kindness.
This book will give you pause in your personal thoughts and evaluation of the main characters. We all need to thank Poland and her people for their bravery without which that horrible conflict would have continued much longer. GP
An excellent and well told history
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Comprehensive Detail of amazing WWII Resistance EU contributors.
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The larger powers often overlooked and downplayed the technical achievements, crucial inside knowledge and leadership by small countries, after the war, and in many cases, those countries sovereignty was swept aside for the goals of the larger powers.
A discussion at yhe end of t he book, of the difficulty of people who did not experience brutal occupation, left judging those who did, leaves me pondering.
The little guys bear the brunt
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The reader too often sound plodding and measured. After a while I adapted to it but I felt the material deserved a better presentation.
A worthy & unique view of WW2
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great for historical backstory
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Very enlightening and timely.
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New point of view learned as to the governments in exile during WW2 but especially for me holland
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