Just Finished Reading: Americans in Paris – Life and Death under Nazi Occupation 1940-1944 by Charles Glass (FP: 2009)

With the clouds of war gathering over Europe the 30,000 Americans in and around Paris had a choice to make: Leave before things become untenable or stay with the relative safety of being a citizen of a powerful and, more importantly, neutral country. By the time of the German invasion of 1940 some 5,000 decided for numerous reasons to stay. In this often gripping and always well written narrative journalist Charles Glass tells their stories or at least some of the more prominent ones. From the humble Sylvia Beach, owner of the famous English language bookshop Shakespeare and Company, to millionaire Charles Bedaux, from the Countess Longworth de Chambrun dedicated to keep the American Library open come what may, to Dr Sumner Jackson who fought tooth and nail to keep the American hospital open and free of German influence this was the story of triumph over adversity, opposition to tyranny, collaboration and double dealing, spying and defiance with the ever present threat of torture and death, of small sacrifices and acts of resistance that made life just a bit more bearable.

In many ways the Americans left behind where in a far more favourable position that French citizens or any other European nationality still on French soil when the Germans invaded and quickly subdued the country. As non-belligerents there where in the odd position of being – by and large – untouchable. Even after the declaration of war shortly after Pearl Harbor the German authorities still held American citizens in somewhat higher regard than other nations, partially it seemed, through fear of the consequences to their own citizens in the US and the inevitable backlash if US citizens where treated badly in occupied territories. Additionally it seemed that Germany was playing the long game hoping that, eventually, after the Continent was subdued that America would tire of war in a faraway place and leave them be – a fate made less possibly if Americans in Paris and elsewhere where roughly handled.

Charmed life or not those who relied on their status to oppose the Germans with impunity soon found themselves in camps of greater or lesser inhuman conditions especially if they happened to be black or Jewish. It was a time when those who had never considered themselves to be heroes acted heroically and those seemingly looked to the future co-operated, collaborated and made money to burn. It was a time when a day to day existence permeated with the possibility of quick death or slow torture brought out the best and the worst in people and forced them to behave in ways they had never imagined they could before 1940.

This was not really an aspect of WW2 that I had given much consideration to before. I was aware of some of the circumstances facing the French under The Occupation but had never previously thought about all of the other nationalities caught up in the conflict. This book was a real eye opener and was often as thrilling as some of the best wartime fiction I’ve read – except this all happened to real people. Fascinating, well written and emotional this is a must read for anyone interested in the period. Highly recommended.