Last Hope Island: Britain, Occupied Europe, And The Brotherhood That Helped Turn The Tide Of War, Olson - B

                                            This is another read I owe my friend, Wendell Erwin, as I had planned on skipping this. I read Olson's book about the Kosciusko Squadron earlier and assumed this would only be a slight embellishment on that. I was wrong. This is excellent and covers the stories of not just Poland-in-exile, but also France, Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, Norway and Czechoslovakia. This book is about the contributions of the occupied countries, particularly in the Battles of Britain, the Atlantic and the cracking of Enigma.
                                            Hitler attacked Norway because of its long and strategic Atlantic coastline. The same day, he occupied Denmark and ordered that both countries' kings be captured. Unlike his brother Christian in Denmark, Haakon escaped Oslo, headed north and was evacuated by the Royal Navy. His name became the rallying cry for the Norwegian resistance. Meanwhile, in  Holland, Wilhelmina hoped for neutrality, but also escaped to London when the invasion began. The quiet, unassuming woman became the charismatic leader of her country. Leopold of Belgium was both king and commander-in-chief and as such led a spirited, effective and stubborn defense of his country. He opted to be taken prisoner.  London welcomed governments-in-exile and foreign fighters. French soldiers joined the exodus at Dunkirk. Czech soldiers and Polish soldiers, sailors and particularly airmen went to England. The Norwegian merchant marine fleet of 1200 vessels joined the Allied cause and helped keep the sea lanes open in the face of the U-boats. It was the Polish airmen who made the most significant contribution to the Allied war effort. By the end of the Battle of Britain, it was acknowledged by the chain of command all the way up to Churchill and the King that the Battle of Britain, England's "finest hour", could have not been won without the Poles.  Perhaps the first step of fighting back emanated from the broadcast studios of the BBC. The European Service broadcast in dozens of languages and inspired millions to believe that the hold of the Nazis was temporary. The Beeb started the V for victory campaign that spread throughout occupied Europe. Another meaningful Polish contribution came on the intelligence front. The Poles had the plans for the Enigma machine, built two of their own and delivered one each to Britain and France. It was a significant head-start for the Bletchley analysts. Eventually, the contributions of the USSR and the USA came to dominate the war. Yet, throughout the remainder of the war, the occupied Allies continued to contribute. The Czech resistance killed Heydrich in the hope it would help preserve their independence after the war. It didn't. The Belgians ran the most effective escape route for downed Allied airmen and it is estimated that 7,000 returned to England to continue the fight. French resistance held down thousands of German troops. The Norwegians stopped the export of heavy water to Germany. The three Benelux countries signed the treaty that led to the EU in London during the war.
                                            This is a fine book and another welcome contribution from Lynne Olson. However, I believe it is probably too ambitious. It covers a great deal of material and bounces back and forth from one exile group to another. That said, it paints a vivid picture of the London under siege, yet filled with a many foreign languages and hope for the future of the continent.