In the Thick of the Fight - The Testimony of Paul Reynaud

I've been working on this book for quite a while now. It was a physical book, so I couldn't read it on the treadmill. Add in that it was 656 pages long, and maybe it's a bit more understandable why it took me so long. I specifically wanted to read this book mainly because I discovered that Reynaud was one of the prisoners at Castle Itter when it was liberated. In case you aren't aware, it's a great story where the Germans and Americans team up to protect the political prisoners being held in the Castle while the SS attacks.

Anyway, this book is basically Reynaud getting very detailed about what happened to his country leading up to and during WWII. He had a position high in the government, and he tried to warn everyone that France was not ready for Hitler. He made speeches and tried to get others to realize that the country needed an armored division, but others were more inclined to lean toward a defensive position for France. After the war started, Reynaud wanted to honor the country's obligations to the Allies while others were pushing for an armistice. He ends up getting pushed out of office and eventually imprisoned. For what? Not even he is given a real answer. 

I didn't know anything about Reynaud before picking up this book, but I learned a great deal about his feelings on the events leading up to and during the second world war. Reynaud backs up everything he says with evidence from other people, whether they were supporters of his ideals or the opposition. He even read Hitler's book to get an idea of what the man was planning for France. He was just unfortunate in that no one would listen to him. Something he said that really stuck with me was, "And the evil gained ground because disease is more contagious than good health."

I may have taken a long time to get through this book, but I don't want to give the impression that I didn't find it interesting. I really did. It was just of a size of the book that was difficult to maneuver when I was in a relaxing mood. I also wouldn't recommend this for everyone. If you're interested in the inner workings of the French governement leading up to the second world war and what happened during the Battle of France, I think you'd really enjoy this book. I just want to point out that with the depth of detail that Reynaud includes, it may be too much for someone who just wants an overview of what was happening at the time. For me, it gets a Good Book! review.