The Lisbon Route: Entry and Escape in Nazi Europe

by Ronald Weber

The Lisbon Route tells of the extraordinary World War II transformation of Portugal's tranquil port city into the great escape hatch of Nazi Europe. Royalty, celebrities, diplomats, fleeing troops, and ordinary citizens desperately slogged their way across France and Spain to reach the neutral nation. Here the exiles found peace and plenty, though they often faced excruciating delays and uncertainties before they could book passage on ships or planes to their final destinations. As well as offering freedom from war, Lisbon provided spies, smugglers, relief workers, military figures, and adventurers with an avenue into the conflict and its opportunities. Ronald Weber traces the engaging stories of many of these colorful transients as they took pleasure in the city's charm and benign climate, its ample food and drink, its gambling casino and Atlantic beaches. Yet an ever-present shadow behind the gaiety was the fragile nature of Portuguese neutrality, which at any moment the Axis or Allies might choose to end.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

376 pages, Hardcover

First published March 16, 2011

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. I was really interested in the topic, but couldn't get past 50 pages of this book. The scene and context were not set before the author started piling on details.

[Larry Loftis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much and used it for my research of Lisbon for my own book (Into the Lion's Mouth).

[Caroline Mcphail-Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, but difficult read as the print is small, compact and there are few white spaces, and no pictures to spell off the reading. The history is not something I knew anything about so I persevered with my reading and gained some interesting facts about life beyond the killing in WWII.

[Francisco Câmara Ferreira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Livro sobre a vida em Lisboa/Estoril no Portugal neutro da segunda grande guerra. Inclui alguns episódios interessantes passados na minha bela Lisboa dos anos 40 alguns dos quais já tinha conhecia através da minha avó que viveu em Lisboa durante o período da guerra. Infelizmente o livro foi escrito de uma forma bastante confusa e atabalhoada e só com bastante esforço cheguei a termina-lo..

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excessively, almost forensically detailed accounts of persons who passed through Lisbon on their journeys of escape from Nazi horrors in World War 2. As a documentary chronicle it works; as a readable narrative somewhat less so. Of value for its attention to minute details ( " I remember every detail. The Germans wore grey; you wore blue") and a super bibliography. Lisbon truly was a haven for those who suffered excruciating escape adventures of great danger. If only their letters of passage could have been so easily found in a piano.

[Susan Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisbon, Portugal, played a unique role in WWII history, serving as the escape hatch for tens of thousands of Jews and others threatened by the Nazi regime. Weber's book illuminates this unique moment in the city's history.

[KDWeber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smartly composed with many interesting facts, though I had difficulty following, and remembering, the many different people this book mentions.

[Ddoddmccue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy read? No way. The content was detailed and thoroughly documented. The chapter organization was chronological but each offered a unique perspective, demanding reader refocus. But it was worth the effort if genuinely interested in this topic. Diligence was rewarded.

While familiar with many aspects of WW2, my previous knowledge of Portugal lacked its complicated balancing act as a neutral nation with long positive ties with Britain, coupled with the increased wartime significance of its location.

Weber notes that Portugal’s position as host for spies, war correspondents, and refugees was significantly challenging. The dramatic accounts of efforts of governments, relief agencies, and individuals who engineered safe exit from war torn Europe alone may be worth the read. Elaboration on the activities of Vatican Frye in securing safe passage for countless individuals of Europe, including but clearly not limited to intellectuals, writers, and artists, is astounding.

The author notes this all unfolded while a strong autocratic leader is pushing back on communist inroads, which risked adding pressure on the Allies.

In short, a poor nation the size of Indiana with a high illiteracy rate played on oversized role in efforts to limit the human costs of war and shape the post war era.

[Andria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really well written, very factual. I am not much of a nonfiction reader so I lost interest with the book after a while, totally my own fault not the fault of the book....very interesting topic and much that I did not know about world war 2.