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Lisboa - A Guerra Nas Sombras Da Cidade Da Luz, 1939 - 1945 (2011)

by Neill Lochery(Favorite Author)

3.38 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Editorial Presença

review 1: A book about Portugal (not just Lisbon) during the Second World War. Antonio Oliveira Salazar, the dictator of the Estado Novo, the contemporary Portuguese government, had to walk a delicate line in preserving his country’s neutrality, while trying to make as much money off of both sides as possible. Part of Portugal’s postwar prosperity came from a pile of gold acquired from the Nazis, including gold confiscated from conquered territories. The author, who more recently wrote a book about Brazil’s experiences during the same period, has an eye for fascinating anecdotes and occurrences, and I found myself fascinated. He seemed to find Salazar very interesting, and that very much showed in the text. I’m not sure if it passed into outright hagiography, but the man cer... moretainly seems quite fascinating.
review 2: I like reading books about cities, especially when the city has a unique historic period. Lisbon certainly did during WW2, and Lochery provides good historic detail for anyone who knows little or nothing about Lisbon during this period. The book sleeve, unfortunately, provides the most atmospheric snapshot with suggestions that it will emit the same feel as the film, Casablanca. Alas, Lochery never delivers on this promise, mainly because his prose is dry and rather repetitive across the chapters. The research is strong, but his story telling is stilted, leaving me disappointed. There are incredible characters in this story - Peggy Guggenheim, Max Ernst and Arthur Koestler - yet each of these only gets a brief vignette while President Salazar gets 90% of the book dedicated to him. I suspect that is the core of my disappointment - it is not really a story about the intrigues of Lisbon during this era, but a biography of President Salazar during this period. Interesting it is, but it does not deliver the promise of the title or what such a history of Lisbon could have been. If that's what you, too, are looking for, then my recommendation is to give this one a miss. It simply doesn't deliver. less

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