The Week France Fell: June 10-16, 1940

by Noel Barber

'The Week France Fell' is a moving account of how ordinary men and women faced the sudden and unexpected defeat of their beloved nation to ruthless Nazi invaders. Based upon interviews and other primary sources, this history offers a revelatory view of the mixture of relief and puzzlement the Germans experienced at the ease of their victory.

Noel Barber relates how the intrusive hand of bureaucracy paralyzed the nation's response, and how French leaders Paul Reynaud, Marshal Petain, Pierre Laval, General Weygand, and Charles DeGaulle deadlocked by conflict, rivalry, and personal ambition, failed to prevent a national catastrophe.

Genres: Nonfiction, World War II, History, France

321 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1976

About the author

Noel Barber was a British novelist and journalist. Many of his novels, set in exotic countries, are about his experiences as leading foreign correspondent for the Daily Mail. He was the son of John Barber and his Danish wife, Musse, and had two brothers: Kenneth, a banker, and Anthony Barber, Baron Barber.
Most notably he reported from Morocco, where he was stabbed five times. In October 1956, Barber survived a gunshot wound to the head by a Soviet sentry in Hungary during the Hungarian revolution. A car crash ended his career as journalist. He then began writing novels: he became a best-selling novelist in his seventies with his first novel, Tanamera.

Reviews

[KOMET · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Week France Fell: June 10-16, 1940" chronicles the week in which the Battle of France reached its climax, with Paris being declared an open city, then occupied by the Germans as the French government is on the verge of collapse. Several characters (British and French) emerge in this book - some of whom will later play prominent (i.e., heroic) roles in the Second World War, while others will cover themselves in lasting shame. The fall of France in June 1940 would have all the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy, which Noel Barber recounts so compellingly here.

[Dan McCarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good in depth look at the politics in the French government as the country fell to German forces. I do wish there was some talk of what was occurring on the battlefield since that would provide more context to the struggles over capitulation or continued resistance.