In today's western world of comfort and safety, almost sixty years later few seem able to remember or understand what World War II felt like -- or what it was all about. Many Americans, protected by an ocean, are even less aware of European military history. Switzerland's place in that conflict has been shaped in the past decades by selective reporting and revisionist thinking. A comprehensive look has been long overdue.
Switzerland Under Siege 1939-1945 brings you the real story of Switzerland and World War II. In carefully written and edited studies of all aspects of neutrality in general and of Switzerland's neutrality in particular, you will learn about:
German and Italian invasion plans for Switzerland, and the Swiss Army's response - in dozens of color maps and illustrations.
Allied and Axis espionage in neutral Switzerland
The American bombings of Zurich, Basel, and Schaffhausen - errors or retaliation?
Myth vs. reality: the actual story of Jewish refugees and Swiss humanitarian efforts - not the front page sound bites.
Women's roles in war-time Switzerland
Daily life on a neutral's home front
Honor and morals in an immoral world
The major demands, and limited rewards, of true neutrality
Descendants and historians alike will find this an excellent and thought-provoking book, well written and well documented. We recommend it highly.
