Leonard MosleyCritiques

Alexandria, VA

A very interesting and somewhat sympathetic biography of Hermann Goering.½

n this highly readable biography, best-selling author Leonard Mosley offers a fascinating account of Lindbergh's childhood, days as a barnstormer and mail pilot, the flight to Paris and its aftermath, the Hauptmann trial, his later life, and much more.
Mosley knew Lindbergh and many of the other people highlighted in this intimate portrayal of a complicated man.

The authorized biography of John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles and their family.

L'autore di questo libro conobbe il Negus in uno dei momenti più disastrosi per lui, quando, nel 1936, davanti al consesso della Società delle Nazioni, parlò con accenti commoventi a tutto il mondo perchè la sua patria non venisse abbandonata dai paesi civili. Era allora, come lo ricorda Mosley, una figura piccola e patetica, con il mantello che quasi gli cadeva dalle spalle curve, un uomo stanco e ammalato per i disastri provocati dalla guerra italo-etiopica. Eppure riusciva, anche in quel momento, a conservare la dignità di un vero imperatore, di un principe romantico e inflessibile. Cosi riapparve in diverse circostanze a molti altri che lo conobbero e cosi è tuttora: un imperatore a volte eroe, in molti modi cosi spietato, in altri cosi astuto e abilissimo manovriere, cosi preveggente e sempre grande.

INDICE
Parte Prima - Preparazione; Parte Seconda - Pazienza; Parte Terza - Delusione; Parte Quarta - Esilio e ritorno; Parte Quinta - La dura realtà.

Il secondo uomo per importanza nella Germania nazista dopo Adolf Hitler: Hermann Goering. La personalità più popolare tra i Tedeschi durante il regime hitleriano: Hermann Goering. L'alto ufficiale incaricato di 'trattare con gli Alleati dopo che Hitler si chiuse nel bunker di Berlino: ancora Goering. La figura di maggiore spicco al processo di Norimberga: sempre Goering. Maresciallo del reich, asso della aviazione nella prima guerra mondiale, unito a Hitler fin dagli albori del potere nazista, Hermann Goering entrò a far parte della storia in una delle epoche più terribili che si ricordino. In tempo ne ha fatto una macchietta, una pesante caricatura; si ricorda poco dell'uomo che era in realtà. Consigliere di Hitler, fautore del potenziamento delle forze aeree tedesche, subì le più dure critiche quando la macchina bellica nazista iniziò a perdere colpi, anche se tentò con tutte le sue forze di porre rimedio agli errori di Hitler e dei suoi generali. Nella sua vita intensa e per certi versi affascinante spiccano contraddizioni evidenti. Il grande esponente dell'antisemitismo fu influenzato in gioventù dal patrigno ebreo; amò la bellezza, le opere d'arte, i cibi e i vini più raffinati, la droga. Fedele a Hitler fino in fondo preferì suicidarsi piuttosto che farsi impiccare con gli altri illustri condannati di Norimberga. Leonard Mosley, autore di numerosi libri di storia contemporanea, ha conosciuto personalmente Hermann Goering e ha intervistato personaggi a lui molto vicini, riuscendo a creare così un'opera che non è soltanto un'esauriente, appassionante biografia del celebre maresciallo del reich, ma anche una chiara esposizione degli eventi che portarono Hitler e il nazionalsocialismo al potere, una eccellente sintesi della seconda guerra mondiale vista « dal di dentro » della caduta del terzo Reich.

Like [The Guns of August], On Borrowed Time is an excellent overview of the events leading up to World War II, from the Eger Incident on September 13, 1938 tp the declaration by the Soviet Union that Poland no longer existed as a country on September 22, 1939. In a single year, Europe went from a tense peace to all-out war. Mosley covers the major events and players, their known actions and reactions to the rushing tide of events. Very information, readable, and depressing all at the same time.½

La cosidetta battaglia di Inghilterra, svolta in duelli aerei tra i migliori piloti della RAF e gli assi della Luftwaffe.

We all like our villains to be mean, sniveling and despicable, tinged with evil, cowards and hand-rubbing, sneering hypocrites. Like the Nazi Goebbels or Mengele for example.

Field Marshal, Luftwaffe flying ace, Hermann Goering is more difficult to hate, and even harder to despise. Despite his luke-warm resistance to the extremism of Hitler, his greedy theft of art and his gross appetites – he had immense courage, great love for his wife, Baroness Carin von Kantzow of Sweden, and was, by all accounts, extremely likeable. Wounded three times in his career, the slow to heal wounds gave him both pain, and the treatment, as was nearly usual in those times, a morphine addiction. These are not excuses for the horror of the holocaust, and Mosley – a British journalist, historian, biographer and novelist - does not offer them up as such, but the author knew his subject personally and reveals all sides to Goering, including those to which he gives far from grudging admiration.

An intriguing but rather tragic figure, unable to resist – like so many others – the domination of Hitler, one feels from Mosley’s work that there was a wasted value and potential in Goering – that he could, in fact, been a positive influence if he had tried. He did use that skill during his trial in Nuremberg, as the highest ranking Nazi Goering tried to lead the other defendants towards a more honorable, if defiant, defense, and – having been denied the soldiers death of a firing squad – he persuaded his young American guard to bring him his confiscated brief-case and swallowed the hidden cyanide, cheating the hangman and dying, but strangely with a certain courage.

An excellent history and interestingly constructed biography.

This is a very detailed biography of the top ranking US Army general in WWII. Excellent reading. Covers multiple facets of the experiences of a long career of public service.

I believe the Source Notes at the back of the book are also worth reading to describe all of the various resources the author utilized in writing this book.

One of my favorite passages in the book is from Chapter 31, Final Chores:

King George VI of England had died at the beginning of 1952, and there was general pleasure and approval in Britain when it was announced that General George Marshall would head the U.S. delegation the following summer to the coronation of his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. It was typical of Marshall that when he walked to his place in the front stalls of Westminster Abbey, he noticed that the throng of richly clad and bejeweled princes and princesses, lords and ladies, and envoys from all over the world rose to the their feet as if to pay homage to someone among them, and he whispered to his fellow delegate General [Omar] Bradley, "Who are they rising for?"

"You," said Bradley.

That passage says it all about the respect that Marshall had earned for his career of achievements and service.

This is an excellent book to learn in depth about Marshall. Must read.½

Hard to believe how single-mindedly Republican (in the red-state, let's-not-give-a-commie-a-break, if-we-kill-a-jillion-that's-the-way-it-has-to-be kind of way) John Foster Dulles became when he dealt with Stalin and then Mao. He stayed locked in this mindset when Stalin died and Eisenhower tried very briefly for a working relationship with USSR. Brother Allan Dulles loved his spy-toys and his fun-time covert actions. Reminds me of Pinky and the Brain: John Foster Dulles, Secty of State, was the Brain, mind fixed on firm objectives for running the world, and Pinky (Allan) headed the CIA , chasing people and ladies and acting impulsively. OK, Allan was smart in a cunning sort of way that poor Pinky lacked and he did inflict real damage and assinate a bunch of folks.

The real difference is the two Dulles brothers *did* run the world. (Eisenhower let them.)

Mosley tells the story in a folksy, family anecdote sort of way--probably related to his interviewing Eleanor and hearing her point of view. (Sorry I couldnt link Eleanor Dulles to a couple of maniacal mice but she seemed almost human at times.)

Strongly sympathetic biography of Hirohito --perhaps overdoing it a bit, though nmot so much as some critical ones in the other direction e.g. Jaan's imperial Conspiracy. Useful to me for account of the 2.26 incident.

I thought I knew this period backwards and forwards. But reading the actual diplomatic dispatches provides a level of knowledge unavailable in any other format. The British leadership, i.e., Prime Minister Chamberlain and his aides, come across as venal, anti-Semitic, anti-French, and completely incompetent. The French don't come off any better. Character, in either country's leadership was totally lacking. There are details about middle European events, and most interestingly, close-ups of top Nazis, including Adolf (who had bad breath). What a reader comes away with is the sense the the war could have been prevented numerous times excepting the sheer idiocy of the men involved. Chamberlain, it turns out, had a major crush on Hitler, as did England's Berlin ambassador. Only quibble is that the book could use editing; it could be one-third shorter.½

Great pictures and narrative½

Generally a good book, with detailed explanations of the WWII battle and the film production. I do wish the book covered postproduction too, as this was not easy to shoot and the editing would've been quite a fascinating story.

1/30/23