Poor, backward Portugal endeavored as hard as it could to remain neutral during World War II. Leaning decidedly towards the Axis powers, it could not afford to antagonize either side. Lisbon was the only city in Europe with links to both worlds, and it was the jumping-off point to millions of refugees escaping the Nazi war machine. Historian Neill Lochery uncovers the many nuances of a Portugal that, under the guidance of its Fascist dictator, continually walked the tightrope of wartime politics, economics and the diplomacy of appearing neutral to both sides. ( )

Fræðandi rit um línudans Portúgalska einræðisherrans Salazars í síðari heimsstyrjöldinni þegar hann reyndi eftir megni að halda landi sínu utan hernaðarátaka en um leið græða sem mest á Bandamönnum og Öxulveldunum.
Þetta er fyrst og fremst pólitísk saga sem lýsir sjónarmiði einræðisherrans sem mat aðstæður kalt út frá eigin hagsmunum. Honum var sama um ofsóknir nasista gegn gyðingum, stórgræddi á því að selja hernaðarlega mikilvæg hráefni til Þjóðverja og tókst, líkt og Sviss, að safna miklu magni af nasistagulli.
En Bandamenn viðurkenndu hins vegar Salazar sem mikilvægan þjóðhöfðingja sem stóð í hárinu á Þjóðverjum þegar þeir virtust vera að sigra stríðið í Evrópu á árunum 1939-1942 og hélt Portúgal utan áhrifasvæðis þeirra.
Greinargóð frásögn en sjónarhornið er þröngt og að mörgu leyti lofræða um Salazar þrátt fyrir að hann hafi haldið landi sínu í heljargreipum leynilögreglunnar. ( )

Ok if you're interested in role of Lisbon during WW2. I learned a lot about Salazar and other topics but this book is kind of boring and the audio narration I listened to was really dull. So I would say if you are hard-core interested in WW2 or Portugal go ahead but others should probably pass. ( )

Lisbon is one of our favorite European cities. We can't wait to go back---I can smell the pastries, hear the Fado singers, taste all that gorgeous seafood and wine, and still see the beautiful old architecture, still remember the donkey carts on the main highways. I especially remember the stares (and dare I say glares?) I got when I was driving a car by myself (I don't think I ever saw another woman driving there but that was almost 25 years ago).

As much as we know about the geography, the culture and the attractions, neither of us knows very much about the modern history, particularly of the Salazar era. Neill Lochery presents a well-researched, if somewhat dry exposè of Portugal's well-guarded neutrality during WW II. It was fascinating to watch how Salazar played Britain and Germany against each other and to his advantage, and how the Portuguese were able to shepherd 1000's of Jews out of Europe to escape the Holocaust. There is a good bit of tale-telling about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor who spent a bit of time in Lisbon (and at the nearby casinos in Caiscais and Estorille) before finally departing for the Bahamas.

I actually listened to this because the audio was available but the print version was not. Robin Sachs did an exemplary job narrating a story full of foreign names, phrases and venues, and making it all interesting. This is not a book for everyone, but if you are interested in the area, the country, or another piece of World War II history, this one will fill the bill. ( )

Very dry, just like James Bond's martinis. ( )