Nineteen Weeks: America, Britain, and the Fateful Summer of 1940

This work should be required reading for anyone with an interest in World War II and the roles played by Britain and the United States in the 20th century. The buildup to the focus on the summer of 1940 is probably the best brief synopsis of Allied/German politics from 1919 to 1940 available today, and even now author Moss surprises with relatively hidden facts and devastating analyses. Unfortunately the low number of positive ratings on the reviews clearly signifies that this is not a popular or widely read book. But it should be. For example, how many Americans know that the US did not approve the Versailles Treaty but negotiated and signed a separate peace treaty with Germany in 1921? Or that England was essentially broke after World War I and heavily in debt to the US? Or that the US forgave the vast majority of the debt owed by European nations to it after World War I? Or that England could have signed a treaty with Hitler in 1940 that would have left England much in the same position it enjoyed in 1805 when Europe was under Napoleon? Or that Churchill rejected overtures to that treaty knowing full well that England's survival depended on it being rescued by the United States and that such a rescue would eliminate Great Britain as a world power and catapult the US into becoming the dominant world power? In a phrase, Great Britain had protected the US during its days of expansion by inforcing the Monroe Doctrine, and now the US would protect Great Britain from all threats to its security. Moss makes clear the respective roles of Great Britain and the US during this period. Great Britain was the experienced, diplomatic leader while the US supplied resources, and production and later, manpower. In a sense, they were in the roles of parent and child, and the very great danger to England was that the US would demand (or take) the leadership role away from Great Britain by virtue of its position of power. Indeed, that was what happened, without, however, British personnel such as Brooke, Alexander and Montgomery, deriding, abusing, and belittling American leadership as long as they could. Even today, the "British Empire Syndrome" is alive and well with British authors, politicians and people indulgently consider Americans to be rather like fractious adolescents all too well aware of their wealth and power. It is to the author's credit, as someone born and raised in Britain, that he presents those attitutes and problems fairly and without taking sides. The author points out the revulsion for US involvement in European wars that was felt in the US until Pearl Harbor. Most Americans felt their entry into World War I had been a mistake, brought about by British propaganda, Wilson's moralizing, and German strategic errors. Indeed, it probably was (see "Wilson's War" by Powell, "Echoes of Distant Thunder" by Ellis and "Savage Peace" by Hagedorn.) Now British propaganda was beating an anti-German drum again, and Roosevel

The account of what England went through following Dunkirk, prior to the U.S or Russia entering the war is an extra ordinary story. In May 1940 Hitler invaded France and by June the British had evacuated Dunkirk, leaving behind 1000 guns but saving 300,000 soldiers to fight another day. England was alone, Churchill's "Fortress" which he vowed Hitler would have to `contend with'. All seemed lost, with more then 10 nations under the Nazis Yoke all of Europe was under Fascist rule. But these 19 weeks showed the resolve, not only in England, but also in America of the English Speaking brethren to defend the world from evil. Here we have the story of two men, FDR and Churchill, prepared to fight to the last to save the free world from the world of communist or fascist domination. This is wonderful telling of this story. From the skies over London to the radar stations in Dover to the America First party to the halls of Congress a wonderful tale of politics and diplomacy and public opinion is told. In the end it was these 19 weeks which saved the world, literally. Seth J. Frantzman

"The world changed forever during nineteen weeks in the spring and summer of 1940," Moss begins in this stupendous history of Britain and America, Churchill and Roosevelt, and "ordinary" people in both countries who wanted peace but faced up to war. The period can be precisely measured, Moss writes, dating from May 10 - the day Germany began the blitz into France and Churchill became Prime Minister. The fateful decisions made in this short span boggle the mind. It is hard to imagine a time so fraught with peril for the democratic ideal or one in which men and women rose to such great heights to defend it. When asked what year of his long and dramatic life he would live again, Churchill replied, "1940, every time." These 19 weeks also gave us some of the greatest political oratory ever, almost all from Churchill. No matter how familiar this story is to the reader, Moss's account of war in Europe, politics in America and the relationship between the two is absolutely gripping.

The summer of 1940 is one of the richest historical time periods that a historian or writer could ever delve into. Rarely in the course of human history could one pinpoint such an absolutely critical juncture, a time when the world could have been dramatically altered forever. 1940 was such a time. In one of the great real life dramas of mankind, the western world stood in mortal danger of being swallowed whole by the forces of ignorance, totalitarianism, and extreme violence. What makes the relatively short time so fascinating is the wide swath of amazing historical characters and the paramount importance some of this figures would assume. As author Norman Moss does point out time and time again in his well researched and eminently readable account of the turning point of the modern era, all the marbles were at stake, and our time could be dramatically different save for the efforts of a distinct minority of politicians and statesmen.Moss starts his account with a very pertinent historical point concerning World War I and its effects on Europe. Europe was still reeling from the mass charnel house that was the Great War. It's males had been slaughtered and wounded almost wholesale, and the very idea of war was just ludicrous to most Europeans. For any cause there was little appetite for any kind of military action. I always feel this idea is never really harked on enough, as blame is often laid on appeasing politicians while populations get off scot free. So, as Hitler rose, the people of Europe huddled like sheep, willing to endorse any injustice or give any tribute to Chancellor Hitler, one of the few Europeans who realized how he could take advantage of the docile like state of Europe. Moss takes us through a long tour of Europe, concentrating on Britain and France. Both were led by weak and standoffish men who were determined to avoid war, although Moss does give Chamberlain a bit of a break, undeservedly in my opinion. They gave Hitler what he wanted and many in their home countries were just fine with that. Only a few advocates, such as Winston Churchill, recognized the inherent danger in the Nazi regime, but they were ignored and decried as "warmongers."Once the war started, the people and their governments were painfully slow to action. The deficiencies of the French state and its army are derided to a painful extent in this book. There was a total lack of planning and understanding concerning the Nazi war machine and its methods. Britain too was lost in a wilderness of indecision and political turmoil, as many felt Hitler would be a good ally against the communist east. The French collapsed under the weight of the Nazi onrush and Britain stood alone, with an army horrendously un equipped to fight off an invading German force. As we all know, only the RAF stood in their way, and their bravery arguably saved all of the democratic world.The best part of Moss' book is his understanding of the entire world situation at the

As a youngster, my understanding of World War II was when the United States formally entered after Pearl Harbor. Only some years later did it become clear that formal war declarations began almost twenty-seven months earlier, in September 1939. It seems likely that many Americans, especially with our poor or incomplete knowledge of history labored (and some continue to labor on) under the same misconception.Moss does a wonderful job of filling such a gap in an understanding of the Great War. There was a 27-month delay between England's declaration of war on Germany and Germany's declaration of war on America (Another refresher: On December 8, America declared war on Japan, not Germany; four days later, Germany declared war on the United States for the Nazi ally.). More critical the conduct of the war were these nineteen weeks of 1940, generally commencing with the escape from Dunkirk in May and concluding with the deciphered message in late September that Hitler had called off the airborne invasion troops, signifying the delay (and, eventually, cancellation) of the invasion of England across the English Channel.Under the Nazi wave of terror, England and much of the world were pretty grim in early 1940. Moss shows how much of the change foe the better came about from the slow if certain evolution of America from an isolationist country, to an anti-Nazi sentiment, to a pretty solid pro-British sentiment by late 1940. At one desperate moment, England and France considered unifying under a single government. Even the pessimism of Joe Kennedy, the American ambassador to England and father of future president John Kennedy, could not match the determination of the English. This was their "finest hour" and Winston Churchill personified their ability to stand up to the seemingly inevitable Nazi win.More than sixty years have passed and it leaves some believing that eventual Allied victory was preordained. While the seeds of victory were planted in acts like the miraculous Dunkirk exodus, the decision by Roosevelt to send fifty desperately needed destroyers to submarine-ravaged England, and the strategic misfire by Hitler to leave behind the RAF airfields and to bomb English cities, victory was no foregone conclusion, no Hollywood-like heroics just waiting to be written. This was a highly uncertain, life-and-death struggle. When the Blitz - a shift to terror bombing of London -- commenced in early September 1940, much of London life went on, albeit with some adjustments. Morale remained persistently high. Few people cracked under the pressure, despite the unprecedented bombing deaths of first hundreds and then thousands of English began. Some people relished the uncertainty and the struggle to survive and to triumph. The adrenalin ran high despite the grey, smoky days and flame-filled nights. By war's end, twenty percent of English casualties were civilian, many of them living in their own homes. By German and English estimates as to the devastation produc