Product Description

Based on original sources, including diaries, memoirs, family records and official documents, this is an account of how the rich agricultural and industrial areas of northern France were invaded, occupied and exploited between the summer of 1914 and the Armistice in November 1918. Factories were stripped, household furniture and fittings requisitioned, food supplies taken, and the population maltreated, malnourished and even taken to forced labour camps. Starvation loomed, and contact with the outside world vanished until Herbert Hoover set up his scheme of aid which kept the population alive during the war. The book describes how, in the struggle to survive, French civilians responded in ways which became familiar in World War II - escape networks, espionage, clandestine news-sheets, help for British soldiers trapped behind enemy lines - and all under the eyes of the occupying German army.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #690773 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-16
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 248 pages

Review
"Revealing on both historical and domestic levels; it is full of odd insights and careful thought, and it is moving, too, in its recollection of a tragic and often forgotten experience of the French people." --"The Daily Telegraph"
"This richly documented account is to be highly commended and deserves to be widely read." --"European Business Review"

Customer Reviews

A book on a seldom covered subject
I found this book in a museum gift shop in Ypres. It stood out because of its subject matter. While I have seen many books about the Great War, this is the first I have seen dedicated to the occupation.

While the book concentrates on France, there is a lot of coverage of Belgium too. Shortages, forced labour, resistance, German requisitioning/theft over four years, and the important role played by Herbert Hoover in establishing food supplies to the occupied areas to help prevent starvation are all covered.

The role of women (as a source of labour, the writing of diaries and involvement in escape networks) feature prominently. You are also given a good feel for how varied the experiences of different regions was, with the level of oppression varying greatly.

This is certainly an informative book, but I felt it became a little repetitive, hence the three stars.