Sad that French leadership didn’t read the book.
Oh, they did. They just didn’t accept its recommendations. It was cheaper to go for outdated static defenses - and wishful thinking. I recommend
Last Hope Island:
Britain, Occupied Europe, and the Brotherhood That Helped Turn the Tide of WarIt says that de Gaule (sp) disobeyed orders from Vichy France government when he decamped to Britain instead of staying in France. He was subject to execution by his own government on that account.
by Lynne Olson (Goodreads Author)
4.3 · Rating details · 1,764 Ratings · 438 ReviewsAn engrossing account of how Britain became the base of operations for the exiled leaders of Europe in their desperate struggle to reclaim their continent from Hitler.
Very interesting discussion of the politics of the collapse of resistance to the blitzkrieg in western Europe. The crowned heads of Europe agonized over their options; only one - Leopold of Belgium - elected to stay in Belgium (hoping to duplicate his father’s experience in WWI and remain at large). The rest decamped to Britain - taking all the assets they could with them, and being welcomed with open arms. They broadcast hope and resistance propaganda to their homelands over the BBC. After the war, Leopold was also the only monarch who lost face on account of their decision.
Many Polish fighter pilots made it to Britain, but they were trained differently and looked down on by the RAF - until the RAF got to be in a real pinch for pilots. In desperation they gave the Poles Hawker Hurricanes - which were inferior to Spitfires - and dedicated the Spitfires to top cover and sicc’ed the Poles on the German bombers. The Polish pilots would do anything that would give them a good shot at a German - which the RAF and the Germans soon learned to respect.