To Lose a Battle: France 1940 [Paperback]

Sir Alistair Horne (Author), Jr., Arthur M. Schlesinger (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1990

During six weeks in 1940, Hitler's blitzkrieg shattered the redoubtable Maginot Line and, shortly thereafter, the French army. No historian has written a more definitive chronicle of that disaster than Alistair Horne, or one so emotionally gripping. Moving with cinematic swiftness from the battlefield to the Reichstag and the Palais de l'...lysée, To Lose a Battle overspills the confines of traditional military history to become a portrait of the French national soul in its darkest night.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sir Alistair Horne, one of Britain's greatest historians and commander of the British Empire, is the author of several works on French history, including Seven Ages of Paris and A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 720 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (August 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140134301
• ISBN-13: 978-0140134308
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,051,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book, October 29, 2003

By 

K Greenwood (Victoria B.C, Canada.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Lose a Battle France 1940 (Paperback)

This is a fascinating review of France between its victory in 1918, and its fall in the summer of 1940. The first half of the book deals with the social and political upheaval in France during the interwar years, and the demise of French military power. The second half covers the debacle from the onset of the 2nd World War through France's fall. Very well written, fascinating and informative. The first book I read by Alistair Horne, and it got me hooked.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Detailed Account of Disaster, March 5, 2003

By 

James Gallen (St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To lose a battle: France 1940 (Hardcover)

In "To Lose A Battle" Alastair Horne tells the story of the Fall of France in 1940 in great detail. Beginning with the political and military background which lead to French weakness, the reader is carried through to the final collapse and its aftermath.

The parts of the book which I liked the best were the beginning and the end. In the early parts we read how the tragedy of World War I set France up for failure in World War II. France had been badly divided politically for generations, a heritage which contributed to the disaster of 1940. The massive kill-off of 1914-18 followed by the low Depression-era birthrate left France with a much smaller manpower pool than had existed in 1914. The memory of World War I, along with the long-standing divisions in the French body politic prevented the French form preparing an army which could maintain the distinguished French military tradition.

During the reading of this book, I gained a deeper appreciation of the role played by the Maginot Line. I has always heard that it was the last stand of fixed fortifications. In this book we see how the costs of the Line and its personnel demands drained money and resources which would have been more productively devoted to other units. During the "Phony War" the only effective relief that France could have provided to embattled Poland would have been an invasion of Germany. The ultimate irony is that the impregnable Maginot Line formed a barrier, not only to German invasion, but also to a French advance into enemy territory.

The massive middle of the book explains the facts of the defeat of France in agonizing detail. Although the credentials, such as thus usage of this book by the Israeli Armed Forces, suggests that this book has real value for the military professional, the endless recital of names and actions makes it difficult for an amateur historian, such as myself, to maintain interest.

In concluding sections, the narrative returns to more recognizable themes, such as the breaking of the lines, the collapse of the Belgians, the evacuation of Dunkerque and the last effort to organize a final defense in France. This book introduced me to the depth of irony in the French surrender. I had known that the French were forced to surrender in the same rail car and at the same location as the Armistice signing of 1918. I was unaware that the Versailles Conference had taken place in the same hall in which Wilhelm I had been proclaimed Emperor of Germany in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War.

I did enjoy reading about the involvement of Rommel and de Gaulle, two figures who would play major roles later in the War and, in de Gaulle's case, thereafter.

Although this book focuses on French failures, it is balanced in that it does note that the British performed no better than did the French.

In the end, Horne explores the question of how the defeat of France influenced subsequent developments in Europe and the world.

This book may be a great one for pursuing expertise in the Battle of France but it is a bit detailed for recreational reading.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bring it back into print!, April 26, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Lose a Battle: France 1940 (Paperback)

It's a shame this book is out of print. Horne's book is the best treatment of the Battle of France I've come across so far.

Horne prelude's the battle very well with his analysis of French culture and politics during the inter-war years. His detailed descriptions of the major engagements are well written and obviously researched. His conclusions are not forced but seem to flow naturally.

The only aspect of the book that I would have altered is to tone down some of Horne's politically conservative prejudices. However, a dozen or so passages does not invalidate this excellent book. Highly recommended.