France 1940
Defending the Republic

A short but well-argued refutation of the common perception that the abrupt collapse of French resistance to German invasion in 1940 was due to French decadence. Nord credibly argues that the sudden end of French resistance was prompted, not by a failure on the part of ordinary French soldiers and c......more

"The Soviet Union's strategic unpreparedness and the scale of its initial defeats were far greater than those of France. Yet the Soviets in the end held fast, whereas the French did not. A portion of the credit must go to Stalin himself, the keystone of the Soviet system; although he buckled, he did......more

This book is a concise review of the conditions that led to the shocking fall of France in 1940. Yet, it is not just a review of the French military situation. The genesis of the embarrassment of 1940 stemmed from many factors in the 1930s, from political divisions to a lack of innovation from the t......more

Great expectations from the title and disappointing book. Maybe if the title was formulated differently, it would be more acceptable. My expectations were to have a deep analysis about the battle. It has a good overview (even too long) of France of the period before May 1940, from the standpoint to......more

I thought this was a good explanation of the French disaster (and by extension the British too) in 1940. I have read many explanations but this I find most convincing. Nevertheless he still leaves questions. Why was the French elite so inept, particularly the politicians and the military. The whole......more