Lisbon: War in the Shadows of the City of Light, 1939-45

I enjoyed this book very much. World War II is such a vast subject, but this journey back in time to Lisbon was very interesting.There is a large cast of characters in the book, but first and foremost must be Dr. Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, the long time dictator of Portugal. It is common that the word dictator inspires fear or hatred, and many dictators of the past did just that, but Salazar was most interesting to me. He was completely in control of Portugal, and dedicated to Portugal, but he was in no way attempting to enrich himself. He never married, working so many hours that he had time for little else, and wrapping in coats and rugs in the winter so as not to use heat. Knowing that he had to preserve neutrality, he was masterful in playing the British and the Germans off each other, while very much aware that Portugal had little military capability and could not survive an invasion from Spain or Germany.Lisbon itself was as described the big Casablanca. People of different walks of life were striving to get there in hopes of passage out of Europe and away from the Nazis. What had been a tepid tourism industry quickly changed with the war, and Lisbon boomed with people from all over Europe. Salazar allowed agents from Germany and England to operate in Lisbon, and they certainly did spy on each other, and quite oddly, often occupied the same restaurants and even the same dinner parties.Tungsten, or wolfram, was mined in Portugal and was critical for military purposes. It hardened steel and was vital to Germany and every nation at war. Salazar was very crafty in using this to appease both sides and to profit for Portugal by selling to both belligerents and increasing the price as the war went along. He was greatly concerned that if he did not play the game correctly, Germany would invade and take what they wanted, but as the war grew older and Germany became involved in Russia, this concern was lessened, but Salazar began to demand gold in payment from Germany for this valuable mineral, and substantial amounts of gold were paid. It is interesting that Portugal was able to keep this gold after the war, and by 1945, this poor nation was enriched substantially during the war years. Toward the end of the war, vast amounts of gold were brought in to Portugal from Germany. Much of this was gold taken from Jews,their jewelry, their fillings or in whatever form, and melted down, then marked with the Reichsbank symbol as if it were offical and not stolen. Salazar was aware of the duplicity but did nothing about and sadly, Portugal was one of only three European nations to send condolences on the death of Adolph Hitler. The other two were Ireland and Spain. So, while Salazar was completly devoted to Portugal, we can see that he could easily turn a blind eye to the suffering of millions as long as he achieved his goals.There are many interesting characters in the book. We have Ian Fleming, staying at a hotel and playing blackjack in the casino, and we have the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, staying briefly in Lisbon, or just outside, while England decided what to do with this pompous ego so hopelessly in love with the American tart that he gave up the crown of England for.It is an interesting historical rendering of a fascinating city during the tumult of World War II.I would recommend this book.

"Wolfram". It's not a person, it's a mined mineral also called "tungsten". It makes a very hard surface and I can't even begin to talk about it scientifically. The only reason that wolfram has a place in my review of "Lisbon", by British author Neill Lochery, is that wolfram had an oh-so-important place in WW2 history. Wolfram was heavily mined in the Iberian peninsula - Spain and Portugal - and was a desperately needed product by both the Germans and the British in the making of their war materiel.Portugal had long been ruled by dictator Antonio Salazar, and by the war's start, he had been playing a balancing act in his relationship with Spain, Germany, and Britain. Although officially "neutral", Salazar wanted to protect his country's neutrality - the neutrality of other countries had been violated by Germany - and play one side - Allied and Axis - against the other for both economic and cultural advantages. Portugal had long been an ally of Britain, but Salazar had to keep both sides satisfied with his claims of impartiality. He also had to try to keep Franco's Spain from entering the war. By way of keeping Portugal's claims of neutrality alive, his capital city of Lisbon went from a back-water capital without an international airport, to the "brightest" city in Europe. The lights of the city were a contrast to the blacked-out cities elsewhere on the continent and in England. No bombings for Lisbon; the city was a teeming kettle of refugees,bankers, spies, and profit-makers, trading in all the traditional commerce that come with refugees, bankers, and spies. Oh, and with the production and selling of wolfram.Lochery's book is a well-written look at Salazar and his country and his relations with the WW2 world. In some ways, Salazar was a major-player; courted by both the Allies and the Axis. Not only did Portugal have wolfram, it also possessed some very important real estate. The Azores, in particular, were looked upon and coveted by both the British and the Germans for their war plans. Lochery looks at the people of war-time Portugal and writes about both the natives and the others who poured into Lisbon as refugees. Some were refugees for only a short period - days or weeks - while others, lost in that stateless limbo that was the lot of many, remained in Lisbon and the surrounding areas for months or years. It's a complete look at a small, but important, corner of the war.By the way, if you're interested in the wolfram situation in Portugal during WW2 and the repercussions of it down the decades after the war, buy Robert Wilson's excellent novel, "A Small Death in Lisbon". It's amazing.

As a WWII history buff this book fills a gap regarding life in neutral countries during WWII. In this case the book talks about important events in Lisbon in WWII. As a neutral country it was an important waypoint for refugees fleeing German occupied Europe. The book was interesting and a good read but could have been so much more. Unfortunately, the book was written recently so no opportunity for the author to interview any of the participants of the events described. All of the information was gleaned via document research so it misses the human view of the times. Little opportunity to bring out the atmosphere of the city during the war or the travails of individual refugees and their attempts to reach Portugal and to leave Portugal. A lot of the book is about Portugal's leader at the time, Salazar...a bit too much in my opinion. Another issue is repetition of some information and some organizational issues. So, while not great the book it was definitely worth reading given the subject.

This book provides a fascinating look into a very little written about part of WWII. Portugal’s leader, Antonio Salazar, is cast in a much different light than he’s normally been viewed by history. Though it’s clear Salazar was no saint, what one realizes while reading this book are the extraordinary lengths the man went through to keep his country out of a war from which it could never have survived. This is the real story told here; all the talk about Lisbon being a mid-way point for European refugees, though true, serves as an interesting side story which always comes back, eventually, to Salazar. This book is well-worth reading. As such, it’s also well-worth some additional editing. The little errors throughout (none of which are substantive, but all of which are annoying) made me give an otherwise 5-star work only 4.

A fascinating account of Portugal's role during WWII as a focal point for espionage by both sides in the greatest conflict the world has seen. The dictator Salazar sits brooding alone in his office, micromanaging the extraordinarily delicate feat of keeping in the good graces of both the Allies and the Axis while preserving the benefits of an independent and peaceful Portugal. As the conflict intensified, Salazar built sports palaces and great halls for his people while his omnipresent secret police kept close watch on the spies from all countries. Drawing upon remarkable documentation, notably from the British Embassy and its auxiliaries as well as the American and German files, Lochery paints a vivid picture of a remarkable time. Initially, with German armies poised on the Spanish border, Salazar sailed toward the Axis, ensuring steady supplies of the much prized tungsten ores so critical to the war effort. As the tide of war shifted, so did Salazar but never to the point that he cut off access for the Germans much to the outrage of the Allies, especially the Americans. Through all this, everyone was spying on everyone, under Salazar's all seeing eyes. A valuable contribution to the history of the period.

Having done a lot of reading in the World War II genre (fiction and history), Lochery adds depth to the subjects of espionage, diplomacy and economics of this unique period of world history. It was also my first exposure to Salazar, who, love him or hate him, seems fascinating and is going to be part of my follow-up reading, thanks to the author's take on Salazar's leadership in the 30's and 40's.

Très instructif. Excellent..

Lochery has done a fabulous job of detailing the issues surrounding Lisbon during WWII including the role of Salazar. I have now read it twice and will undoubtedly read it again. Superb!

It was a surprise to find a positive reaction to Salazar. It looks like he kept Portugal out of the Second world War, with difficulty, with the added strain of Spain's Franco hovering about to maybe join Hitler. Loads of little stories describing how life was for the people of Lisboa and the refugees that flooded the city on their way to USA or England. Even the story of the Duke of Windsor, and the disappearnce of film star Leslie Howard are covered. Intriguing book.