By Lynne Olson

We read and thoroughly enjoyed Lynne Olson’s Citizens of London, and eagerly anticipate our discussion of Last Hope Island, Olson’s chronicle of the efforts of the exiled leaders of Europe to reclaim their continent from Hitler. 

The “Last Hope Island” of the title is England, and, according to Olson,  London became the base of operations for many unsung exploits that helped tilt the balance against the Axis. 

According to The New York Times Book Review, “Last Hope Island argues an arresting new thesis: that the people of occupied Europe and the expatriate leaders did far more for their own liberation than historians and the public alike recognize….The scale of the organization she describes is breathtaking”

Shortly after reading Last Hope I happened to come across this article in The Washington Post. It is about a Polish aristocrat who joined the resistance movement and volunteered for a mission to gather information and organize a possible uprising in Auschwitz. It’s a fascinating read.