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33 Days: A Memoir
A rare eyewitness account by an important author of fleeing the Nazis’ march on Paris in 1940, featuring a never-before-published introduction by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
In June of 1940, Leon Werth and his wife fled Paris before the advancing Nazis Army. 33 Days is his eyewitness account of that experience, one of the largest civilian dispacements in history.
Encouraged to write 33 Days by his dear friend, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince, Werth finished the manuscript while in hiding in the Jura mountains.
Saint-Exupéry smuggled the manuscript out of Nazi-occupied France, wrote an introduction to the work and arranged for its publication in the United States by Brentanos. But the publication never came to pass, and Werth’s manuscript would disappear for more than fifty years until the first French edition, in 1992. It has since become required reading in French schools.
This, the first-ever English language translation of 33 Days, includes Saint-Exupéry’s original introduction for the book, long thought to be lost. It is presented it here for the first time in any language. After more than seventy years, 33 Days appears—complete and as it was fully intended.
In June of 1940, Leon Werth and his wife fled Paris before the advancing Nazis Army. 33 Days is his eyewitness account of that experience, one of the largest civilian dispacements in history.
Encouraged to write 33 Days by his dear friend, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince, Werth finished the manuscript while in hiding in the Jura mountains.
Saint-Exupéry smuggled the manuscript out of Nazi-occupied France, wrote an introduction to the work and arranged for its publication in the United States by Brentanos. But the publication never came to pass, and Werth’s manuscript would disappear for more than fifty years until the first French edition, in 1992. It has since become required reading in French schools.
This, the first-ever English language translation of 33 Days, includes Saint-Exupéry’s original introduction for the book, long thought to be lost. It is presented it here for the first time in any language. After more than seventy years, 33 Days appears—complete and as it was fully intended.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
29 people are currently reading
482 people want to read
About the author
Léon Werth
34 books6 followersLéon Werth was a French writer and art critic, a friend of Octave Mirbeau and a close friend and confidant of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Werth wrote critically and with great precision on French society through World War I, colonization, and on French "collaboration" during World War II.
Werth wrote critically and with great precision on French society through World War I, colonization, and on French "collaboration" during World War II.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 12, 2025
This was a fascinating account of l'exode, the exodus of civilians during the fall of France in 1940. The movement of people fleeing the German advance was one of the largest mass migrations in recorded history, and Leon Werth describes the flight in detail; for the most part it was an enormous traffic jam of people trying to get south of the Loire River from Paris and other northern cities. The popular belief was, before it became clear how complete was the collapse of the Allied armies, that the French Army would make a stand on the south bank of the Loire, so the goal of most refugees was to get south of the river. As the fighting overtook Werth and his wife, crossing the Loire became impossible, and then unnecessary with the defeat of France, so the Werths, low on petrol for their auto, sought refuge at a country house, "Les Douciers", just north of the river.
Here they were the guests of a begrudging hostess who had clear fascist tendencies, and who greeted the Germans almost as liberators, literally serving them champagne. This very awkward stay at Les Douciers prompted Werth to reflect on the internal divisions of France in terms that will seem familiar to Americans of the Trump era. For those who have not read widely about Europe in the 1930's, there were sizable fascist-sympathizing segments of society in almost all European countries, including France, very much like the MAGA portion of US society in 2025. So in France, a rough estimate would put the far-right and fascist-leaning citizens at perhaps 20 to 25% of the population, and these far-rightests harped on the "decadence" of France and saw fascism as the salvation of the country. These people were inherently antisemitic, and while they did not overtly welcome the defeat of France, Werth noted that they would says things like, "Well, Hitler is not so bad after all", and it was these kind of people who later filled out the ranks of the Vichy government and the Milice. What Werth saw in Les Douciers was the beginning of the ascendancy of French fascists under Petain.
Finally, after a fellow refugee gave them about a liter of precious gasoline, the Werths decided they would venture north to the farm of a friend of theirs, not knowing if he was there or still part of the exodus, but feeling that anything would be better than continuing their stay at Les Douciers. As it turned out, their friend Abel the farmer was there, and he took them in gladly. Unfortunately, Abel's farm was also a bivouac site for German Army units, and they were constantly under the eye of the oft overbearing Germans. Werth has some insightful things to say about the cultural differences between les francais and the les allemands, such as the Germans tendency to be loud, and their gullible belief in whatever propaganda the state radio or newspapers fed them (does this sound a bit like followers of Fox News?) But Werth's luck was good, and after befriending a rather needy but warm-hearted German corporal who gave him 35 liters of gasoline, the Werths were able to drive to their summer home at Saint-Amour, where they hoped to reunite with their son.
I am glad that this slim book has introduced me to Leon Werth; he was a thoughtful observer of the France of his time; his experience as an art critic, as a chronicler of the First World War, and as a writer of anti-colonialism tracts formed him into a fine writer. His memoir of the exodus during the Battle of France is an excellent first-person history. I look forward to reading his Deposition 1940-1944, which is a diary of life under the occupation.
Here they were the guests of a begrudging hostess who had clear fascist tendencies, and who greeted the Germans almost as liberators, literally serving them champagne. This very awkward stay at Les Douciers prompted Werth to reflect on the internal divisions of France in terms that will seem familiar to Americans of the Trump era. For those who have not read widely about Europe in the 1930's, there were sizable fascist-sympathizing segments of society in almost all European countries, including France, very much like the MAGA portion of US society in 2025. So in France, a rough estimate would put the far-right and fascist-leaning citizens at perhaps 20 to 25% of the population, and these far-rightests harped on the "decadence" of France and saw fascism as the salvation of the country. These people were inherently antisemitic, and while they did not overtly welcome the defeat of France, Werth noted that they would says things like, "Well, Hitler is not so bad after all", and it was these kind of people who later filled out the ranks of the Vichy government and the Milice. What Werth saw in Les Douciers was the beginning of the ascendancy of French fascists under Petain.
Finally, after a fellow refugee gave them about a liter of precious gasoline, the Werths decided they would venture north to the farm of a friend of theirs, not knowing if he was there or still part of the exodus, but feeling that anything would be better than continuing their stay at Les Douciers. As it turned out, their friend Abel the farmer was there, and he took them in gladly. Unfortunately, Abel's farm was also a bivouac site for German Army units, and they were constantly under the eye of the oft overbearing Germans. Werth has some insightful things to say about the cultural differences between les francais and the les allemands, such as the Germans tendency to be loud, and their gullible belief in whatever propaganda the state radio or newspapers fed them (does this sound a bit like followers of Fox News?) But Werth's luck was good, and after befriending a rather needy but warm-hearted German corporal who gave him 35 liters of gasoline, the Werths were able to drive to their summer home at Saint-Amour, where they hoped to reunite with their son.
I am glad that this slim book has introduced me to Leon Werth; he was a thoughtful observer of the France of his time; his experience as an art critic, as a chronicler of the First World War, and as a writer of anti-colonialism tracts formed him into a fine writer. His memoir of the exodus during the Battle of France is an excellent first-person history. I look forward to reading his Deposition 1940-1944, which is a diary of life under the occupation.
September 3, 2025
If reading first-hand accounts of history is important to you (and, ahem, it should be) this is a book to read about WW2. The year is 1940. The Nazis have just occupied Paris and anyone who could was getting out of Dodge. Werth captures the immediacy, the stress of packing for the unknown, the mangle of cars clogging up roads, and their efforts to stay alive. Some German soldiers just start shooting; others ask/demand food and leave.
I had never heard of Léon Werth; so I thought. But Antoine de Saint-Exupéry dedicated The Little Prince to Werth, the only book I've read cover to cover in French (thank you, Mme. Ferguson and French IV ♥).
The main theme, I think, is hospitality. Suddenly rural families are pressed to feed and shelter so many transients. I got choked up reading about a time where Werth and his wife backtracked to a family that had previously hosted them. During their initial stay, the fighting became too hot and too close, so hosts and guests all left in the darkness.
I had never heard of Léon Werth; so I thought. But Antoine de Saint-Exupéry dedicated The Little Prince to Werth, the only book I've read cover to cover in French (thank you, Mme. Ferguson and French IV ♥).
The main theme, I think, is hospitality. Suddenly rural families are pressed to feed and shelter so many transients. I got choked up reading about a time where Werth and his wife backtracked to a family that had previously hosted them. During their initial stay, the fighting became too hot and too close, so hosts and guests all left in the darkness.
I'll say nothing about your welcome, Abel Delaveau. Many years ago, I nearly drowned in the ocean. When I felt land under my feet, it was as if I'd been reborn into a new life. Seeing you again, I feel the same safety. Being back with you, I find a human quality again, which is indispensable for me and which I'd been deprived of since the night when, at the same time as you, I left Chapelon. I'm relieved. I can worry, feel sadness, but no longer despair. It seemed as if you expected us. So much so that it seemed completely natural to have come to ask you for shelter, you whom I barely knew.I highly recommend this. One more quote: And we're not living in ordinary times. History is being mass-produced for us.
August 4, 2018
When reading The Madonna of the Sleeping Cars, I had wondered what The Neversink Library meant so after looking it up & finding it was a publisher's version of many forgotten written gems of the past, 33 Days was my next choice in this library. I had never heard of Leon Werth nor his younger friend, Antoine de Saint-Exupery who wrote a well known children's book which I had never heard of called The Little Prince. He even dedicates this to his friend Werth, who in Jura, France keeping himself in mountain areas alone many times keeping away from the Nazis who after the Fall of France had Jewish people register. In my excerpts I will quote Saint-Exupery's dedication to Werth his friend. Werth wrote 33 Days & Saint-Exupery who was living in the USA tried to get 33 Days published but for some reason that fell through. They wanted it published so that the USA would help fight the Nazi rise in Europe. Saint-Exuperty did write a introduction to his book. 33 Days manuscript was found in 1992. Saint-Exuperty was in the French Air Force until 1940 & rejoined the Free French Air Force after a 27 month since he was reenlisted. In 1944 while flying a reconnaissance mission he disappeared in the Mediterranean. After the war was won, Werth commented that "Peace, without Tonio isn't entirely peace." Wert's wife, Suzanne, helped actively in the Resistance movement in France by crossing the demarcation line & finding safe houses for soldiers & civilians a like. I had recently read fiction accounts of the "Exodus" of the French especially from Paris before the Germans invaded the city & towns. Irene Nemirovsky was not only Jewish but was living in Paris & part of the Exodus which she writes such a lively & terrifying account but Werth's 33 Days is his & his family's escape from the invaders & factual to his observations. So he gives an account of all he is feeling & sees. During their journey, they pass Pithiviers which after the occupation becomes a concentration camp which many will then be shipped to Auschwitz. Irene was one that went that route, whereas Leon Werth escaped that fate.In 33 Days, Leon Werth writes of the 33 days that it takes him to arrive at his home in the "free zone" at the time. It is an interesting account from anarchist but not a friend to the "ism" of Germany or Russia. He served in World War 1 and was an objector but still went back to the Front Line as a radio operator. He was a critic of colonization & was criticized for his book on the subject. I wish his book "Desolation" was available on Kindle which recounts his time in the mountainous regions of Jura. I always find it so interesting reading about a person narrative either Fiction or Non Fiction of this time of great uncertainty & how they perceive the occupiers & the citizens in general. This is not a tortuous story where the Germans invaded & life is unbearable that comes later during the occupation when the people are starting to think it is not so bad. The bombing, the killing & raiding are apparent but kept to a certain level at the initial stage. Leon sees how some citizens seem almost like the Fifth Column. We also see that depending on the German there can be kindness in some. Also little acts of how one behaves may not say a lot but actually little acts make up a total of all action. Excerpts-The Little Prince "I ask children to forgive me for dedicating this book to a grown-up. I have a serious excuse: this grown-up is the best friend I have in the world . . . He lives in France, where he is hungry and cold. He needs to be comforted.""France is not an abstract deity. France is not a history textbook. France is not some ideology.France is the flesh that sustains me, a network of connections of axes that are the foundation of my affections. That's why I need those to whom I'm attached to outlast me.""It was the time when they were "correct," which preceded the time when they gave us "lessons in politeness.""Fifty meters on, toward Ouzouer, some French artillerymen are gathered close together forming a human bundle, an opaque and shapeless mass. The women huddled against the farmhouse wall yell to them, "Surrender! Surrender! There are children." An unnecessary request. All at once, as much by clear decision as from fear, they raise their hands. I don't value military courage much, but I felt shame. This was the only time, in my whole life I believe, that I felt a personal military passion, a desire to fight.""Germany was deprived of all its colonies," she said, "it was forced to prepare its revenge. Germany needs to expand in proportion to its population. You must not listen to only one version, you must see both sides . . . You must understand that the Germans are organizers.""I'm saying to myself, 'I would sooner get myself killed than go find water for this soldier.' I'm sincere and I'm lying. Had the soldier pointed his gun at me, I'd have gone to the well and brought back the canteens. The truth is, at the moment and no other, this soldier and no other would have gone to the well to refill his own canteens without a word had I pointed the way. But everything would have been different had the soldier been a drunk thug or had headquarters decided to instill terror. A childish discussion . . . you might say. A trivial event, but the discussion is essential. Dignity isn't measured arithmetically. The smaller the event, the better one grasps the nuances of freedom and dignity.""What happens tomorrow isn't important for the moment. We're not calculating how much of France is under the boot and how much isn't. The armistice is nothing but a pause, an interlude that allows a person to recompose himself. We're no thinking in terms of history but rather in terms of our route, each of whose curves I know. Like one remembers his childhood in an old house, I recover everything that, in my life was hope and love."
December 19, 2019
The true events as compiled by the author Leon Werth during WW2 and having to flee his home in Paris which takes 33 days. Although short and interesting, I was very confused with what events were actually happening throughout!
December 6, 2017
An excellent firsthand account of the mass exodus from Paris ahead of the Nazi invasion--if you already know the very basics. 33 Days doesn't waste time offering a load of context so this is more likely a 3-star read for a casual reader, as they might be a bit lost at times. The confusion of the author is a key part of the book's depth but may be untenable for those who aren't history buffs.
February 2, 2022
Working at a used bookstore, the ideal book is something which can be read piecemeal since there are many interruptions. The reference to Antoine de Saint-Exupery on the cover of this slight volume caught my eye as did the topic, what's billed as the largest (nine million) mass migration in human history: the flight of the French from the Nazi invasion.
This is the memoir of one such refugee, albeit only for a bit more than a month, hence the title. It's narrowly focused, treating just of his experiences. They include a lot of halting interactions with German troops, Werth not knowing German. The style is reminiscent of a letter or of journal or diary entries, not something polished for a public beyond his friend, Saint-Exupery, occasionally addressed.
Personally, I wasn't much impressed. It was as if I'd read pages from the diary of a complete stranger about remarkable events in his life. If it had been about events occurring to an American in America, or even a Norwegian in Norway, it would have been more interesting, some of the French references having gone over my head.
This is the memoir of one such refugee, albeit only for a bit more than a month, hence the title. It's narrowly focused, treating just of his experiences. They include a lot of halting interactions with German troops, Werth not knowing German. The style is reminiscent of a letter or of journal or diary entries, not something polished for a public beyond his friend, Saint-Exupery, occasionally addressed.
Personally, I wasn't much impressed. It was as if I'd read pages from the diary of a complete stranger about remarkable events in his life. If it had been about events occurring to an American in America, or even a Norwegian in Norway, it would have been more interesting, some of the French references having gone over my head.
November 26, 2015
(I read the physical book, not the Kindle edition, but it is the only one on GR.)
I found two books about the refugee experience the other week. (The other is about Japan girl, but I haven't got to that yet.)
It took 33 days for Leon Worth to escape Paris, with hundreds of thousands of others, as the Germans approached and to get past the Loire into what was fast becoming Free France. He drives his wife as far as he can in a large convoy that is directed this way and that. Often the traffic jam is so bad, horses and carts move much more quickly. The roads increasingly become blocked with stalled cars and with military traffic being giving preference. Worth eventually has to stop, and his car is pulled by some horses out of the way.
I was surprised to find that some of the country farms were still relatively functional. For some reason I expected the entire countryside to be razed. Worth describes French soldiers and, increasingly, German soldiers wandering around the areas, seemingly lost. But eventually the Germans appear get more organised - or Worth's description of them does.
It looks for a while that Worth will be stuck in a certain semi-abandoned farm with a strange group of misfits, and never find his 17 year old son who had gone on ahead of him, with others, as he has no petrol to get his car moving again, but help comes from an unexpected source.
Worth appears fairly stunned by all the goings on, he stays philosophical and tries to be non-judgemental in the face of his adversity. But the reality of the world shimmers all the while - this can't be happening - people can't act like this.
There is surprisingly little anger or recriminations.
-- Extra credit: Compare and contrast the writings of L-F Celine on his experiences as a German war-criminal (anti-Semitic propagandist) on the run.
I found two books about the refugee experience the other week. (The other is about Japan girl, but I haven't got to that yet.)
It took 33 days for Leon Worth to escape Paris, with hundreds of thousands of others, as the Germans approached and to get past the Loire into what was fast becoming Free France. He drives his wife as far as he can in a large convoy that is directed this way and that. Often the traffic jam is so bad, horses and carts move much more quickly. The roads increasingly become blocked with stalled cars and with military traffic being giving preference. Worth eventually has to stop, and his car is pulled by some horses out of the way.
I was surprised to find that some of the country farms were still relatively functional. For some reason I expected the entire countryside to be razed. Worth describes French soldiers and, increasingly, German soldiers wandering around the areas, seemingly lost. But eventually the Germans appear get more organised - or Worth's description of them does.
It looks for a while that Worth will be stuck in a certain semi-abandoned farm with a strange group of misfits, and never find his 17 year old son who had gone on ahead of him, with others, as he has no petrol to get his car moving again, but help comes from an unexpected source.
Worth appears fairly stunned by all the goings on, he stays philosophical and tries to be non-judgemental in the face of his adversity. But the reality of the world shimmers all the while - this can't be happening - people can't act like this.
There is surprisingly little anger or recriminations.
-- Extra credit: Compare and contrast the writings of L-F Celine on his experiences as a German war-criminal (anti-Semitic propagandist) on the run.
July 26, 2015
The notes in the beginning from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry were actually better than this whole book. It made you believe you were going to be reading something ground-shaking and eye-opening and then you start the story and you're like
well
okay then....
this is underwhelming.
where's the meaning??
I have read a lot of WWII books because it's my favorite time period in history but it's actually really hard to find a good gut-crushing one. This read as a day-to-day account of the exodus from Paris and I was looking forward to it because that mass migration is something not many people know about it. I studied history in college and not once was it mentioned and I think that's disgraceful. The Nightingale and Sarah's Key hit me harder when it described what happened during the escape and this one just didn't hit the mark for me. The entire story was all about how he was feeling and what he went through but rarely was his wife mentioned nor did I feel the lackluster worry over his son was believable.
This is a short book so if you're looking for more information on the exodus then by all means pick this up. It was very straight up and was more concerned with daily facts than emotions though. If you want your heart to bleed and your chest to ache then go for Sarah's Key.
well
okay then....
this is underwhelming.
where's the meaning??
I have read a lot of WWII books because it's my favorite time period in history but it's actually really hard to find a good gut-crushing one. This read as a day-to-day account of the exodus from Paris and I was looking forward to it because that mass migration is something not many people know about it. I studied history in college and not once was it mentioned and I think that's disgraceful. The Nightingale and Sarah's Key hit me harder when it described what happened during the escape and this one just didn't hit the mark for me. The entire story was all about how he was feeling and what he went through but rarely was his wife mentioned nor did I feel the lackluster worry over his son was believable.
This is a short book so if you're looking for more information on the exodus then by all means pick this up. It was very straight up and was more concerned with daily facts than emotions though. If you want your heart to bleed and your chest to ache then go for Sarah's Key.
June 26, 2015
an incredibly singular, observant, unusual, and somehow hilarious memoir about Leon Werth's 33 day exodus from Nazi-occupied Paris to the Jura mountains in June-July of 1940. Werth was a brilliant writer, wry, and every sentence is infused with pathos and intelligence. a weird read for sure - lacking are the emotional and graphic intensities of Nazi-era literature - but to good effect. a great read.
September 29, 2015
In this memoir the author discusses what it is like to be a refugee in your own country fleeing an invading army and dependent on the kindness of strangers. Although relating experiences when the author and his family fled from Paris in advance of the invading German army in 1940, this book may help the reader understand the experiences of people who are currently fleeing to Western Europe seeking safe haven from the wars in Syria, Iraq and other countries.
September 17, 2015
This is a special little (116 pages) book. Léon Werth was a close friend of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and often addresses his friend in this tale of his flight from Nazi occupied Paris in 1940. There are some great descriptions of the characters he meets in the French countryside. His reunion with his beloved Siamese cat, Choum, on page 85 is touching.
October 22, 2016
This is a great little novella that I bought online. If you like to read about WW2 history than you will enjoy reading this. It is a very quick read.
September 15, 2020
Werth's recounting of his experiences paint a surreal picture of the events of occupied France. His descriptions of both French and Germans are sweet and bitter and not surprisingly similar to his friend Antoine de Saint-Exupery when it comes to analogy and metaphor. However, Werth is so much more humorous and delightful when showcasing the rather ridiculous nature of man in a crisis. Some of the humor however gets lost in translation, which is understandable enough. We often read romanticized accounts of WWII from biographies and miss altogether the raw human aspect of the equation: everyone during the war had moments of behaving badly, or at least thinking badly (including Werth), and likewise those committed of a crime don't always understand the crime they've done. Werth's account puts readers into view of what it was like to be "free" yet enslaved in one's own country, of what it was like to walk amidst lions in cageless surroundings. More than this, Werth highlights just how ignorant the Germans were of their own predicament, of the war, and worse yet of the French who too easily abandoned their patriotism in support of the Germans during occupation. The sense of betrayal was paramount to a son cheering the caging of his own family. Werth is quite critical about sympathizers, and it's quite clear this memoir was written out of frustration of what he had experienced during his escape.
December 1, 2017
Ein gutes Buch. Anders, als ich es erwartet hatte. Aber trotzdem (oder gerade deshalb?) gut. Léon Werth schildert die Odyssee, die er und seine Frau erlebten, als sie am 11. Juni 1940 aus Paris flohen, um zu ihrem (eigentlich) 8 Autostunden entfernten Ferienhaus zu fahren. Die Fahrt dauerte insgesamt 33 Tage. Diese Informationen gibt u.a. auch der Klappentext.
Der Bericht ist eher ein Bericht von Kleinigkeiten, von Erlebnissen, von Begegnungen, von Gedanken, die Léon Werth hatte, von allgemeinen Fragen, die er anhand der individuellen Erlebnisse versucht, zu beantworten. Die beiden sind natürlich nicht die ganze Zeit unterwegs, sondern zwischendurch für längere Zeiträume bei ihnen vorher unbekannten Menschen untergebracht. Sie erleben diese Zeit als unkalre und undefinierte Phase, in der ihnen wichtige Informationen fehlen, um die Situation einschätzen zu können, in der sie erleben, was es heißt, im besetzten Frankreich zu leben. Kein vergleich zu den besetzten Gebieten in Polen und anderen osteuropäischen Ländern. Soviel kann man sagen, ohne zu viel zu verraten. Das Buch ist keines, was den Leser oder die Leserin direkt zu Tränen rührt oder die Luft anhalten lässt. Dazu konzentriert er sich zu sehr auf konkrete Szenen, Begegnungen, er legt es auch nicht auf Dramatik an. Gerade das macht diesen Bericht so lesenswert.
Der Bericht ist eher ein Bericht von Kleinigkeiten, von Erlebnissen, von Begegnungen, von Gedanken, die Léon Werth hatte, von allgemeinen Fragen, die er anhand der individuellen Erlebnisse versucht, zu beantworten. Die beiden sind natürlich nicht die ganze Zeit unterwegs, sondern zwischendurch für längere Zeiträume bei ihnen vorher unbekannten Menschen untergebracht. Sie erleben diese Zeit als unkalre und undefinierte Phase, in der ihnen wichtige Informationen fehlen, um die Situation einschätzen zu können, in der sie erleben, was es heißt, im besetzten Frankreich zu leben. Kein vergleich zu den besetzten Gebieten in Polen und anderen osteuropäischen Ländern. Soviel kann man sagen, ohne zu viel zu verraten. Das Buch ist keines, was den Leser oder die Leserin direkt zu Tränen rührt oder die Luft anhalten lässt. Dazu konzentriert er sich zu sehr auf konkrete Szenen, Begegnungen, er legt es auch nicht auf Dramatik an. Gerade das macht diesen Bericht so lesenswert.
January 3, 2022
I can understand why this is required reading in French schools, or at least was, according to the Goodreads description. It's an amazing first-hand account of a monumental moment in European, and for that matter world, history. It speaks clearly of the chaos of those times, the uncertainty, and the feeling of loss and uncertainty that surrounded the French people as they moved en masse. It's a window into one of the strangest migrations in human history, and is vastly insightful to read.
However, despite this, it's not the best-written work in the world. To be fair to Werth, he acknowledges this himself - making reference to his friend and writer of the introduction, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and how he can never measure up to his standards. He is not quite the same calibre of writer, but he does make a good effort, and does still provide a good impression of the turbulent times they are living in.
I'm surprised that it took so long to be published - it's a work of worth, especially for the time it was written, and it could've easily helped as propaganda. There doesn't seem to be anything so incendiary that it couldn't have been published, so it must have been either mismanagement or accident that kept it from the presses. It's a shame, as it potentially could've helped at the time, helping encourage America into the war - or perhaps this is assuming too much.
It's an interesting read, but more for the insight than the actual writing. It's definitely worth it if you are interested in the War, or even if you are a fan of Saint-Exupéry like myself and wanted to see what he was referring to.
However, despite this, it's not the best-written work in the world. To be fair to Werth, he acknowledges this himself - making reference to his friend and writer of the introduction, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and how he can never measure up to his standards. He is not quite the same calibre of writer, but he does make a good effort, and does still provide a good impression of the turbulent times they are living in.
I'm surprised that it took so long to be published - it's a work of worth, especially for the time it was written, and it could've easily helped as propaganda. There doesn't seem to be anything so incendiary that it couldn't have been published, so it must have been either mismanagement or accident that kept it from the presses. It's a shame, as it potentially could've helped at the time, helping encourage America into the war - or perhaps this is assuming too much.
It's an interesting read, but more for the insight than the actual writing. It's definitely worth it if you are interested in the War, or even if you are a fan of Saint-Exupéry like myself and wanted to see what he was referring to.
October 23, 2021
I found myself confused at times because I struggle remembering the people within his story because I struggle with French and German names, but this book is incredibly well written. My heart broke at some parts, but he made me realize that you can still find joy/hope in seemingly insignificant things, even during hardships and that there's some good people even on the enemy side. Definitely worth a read.
April 5, 2018
German troops are entering France--people are fleeing Paris. The roads are clogged, cars break down, and French and German troops and refugees are entangled. Werth doesn't spare himself as he describes a desperate period at the beginning of the Nazi occupation of France. This very short book has a big impact, as an eyewitness account of "one of the biggest mass migrations in human history."
March 18, 2019
"33 Days" offers intimate access to the moment France fell to the Nazis. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's introduction capturing the haunting desperation of wartime Lisbon is a remarkable bit of writing, too.
October 3, 2025
Some of the anecdotes are naturally compelling, but his style is quite a chore sometime; I often found it a bit boring. I loved the parts where he discussed his friendship with Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
November 27, 2018
A gritty story of Parisians fleeing Paris when the Germans were invading during World War II.
January 1, 2021
A short but powerful account of the author’s flight from Paris, accompanied by his wife, as the Germans descend upon France.
April 11, 2022
3.5/5
Five things:
- Eyewitness account
- Lost manuscript
- World War II
- Mass exodus
- Fleeing the Nazis
Five things:
- Eyewitness account
- Lost manuscript
- World War II
- Mass exodus
- Fleeing the Nazis
March 20, 2025
Interesante narración de la huida de los parisinos con la entrada de los alemanes, dificultosa debido a las continuas acotaciones referidas a la historia y personajes de Francia
April 22, 2021
A really interesting first hand account by a French writer of fleeing Paris and the Wehrmacht in July 1940 in a car with his wife. They left just hours behind their son, but those hours meant being caught in a huge slow refugee column, and then like a whirlwind the fighting caught them. They survive, but their car is out of gas and they have to find somewhere in the French countryside to take shelter.
What follows is two stages of their experience, each in a house where the owners let them take refuge. The first finds them hosted by a woman who speaks fluent German, and seems overly friendly with the invaders. Then friends take them in at their farmhouse, and there happens to be a German Army unit bivouacked right there. One soldier tries to befriend them, and even gives them petrol in the end.
The manuscript was smuggled out of France by the author's friend Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who dropped it off at a publisher in New York City expecting it to be published promptly. Instead the work vanished for many decades, until being discovered and translated.
I thought this was a fascinating account. There were a number of striking scenes. In one they befriend a Senegalese French Army soldier who is on the run after the whole French Army collapsed. They had just been told by the German speaking Frenchwoman that a Wehrmacht Colonel had boasted of killing 12 Senegalese captives. "They are less than dogs to me". The soldier they befriended escapes across a river with their help, but to what fate? What could it have been... sticking out like a sore thumb in France as an African soldier, with the brutal Nazis having just taken over. Could he have possibly lived to make it back to Senegal?
What follows is two stages of their experience, each in a house where the owners let them take refuge. The first finds them hosted by a woman who speaks fluent German, and seems overly friendly with the invaders. Then friends take them in at their farmhouse, and there happens to be a German Army unit bivouacked right there. One soldier tries to befriend them, and even gives them petrol in the end.
The manuscript was smuggled out of France by the author's friend Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who dropped it off at a publisher in New York City expecting it to be published promptly. Instead the work vanished for many decades, until being discovered and translated.
I thought this was a fascinating account. There were a number of striking scenes. In one they befriend a Senegalese French Army soldier who is on the run after the whole French Army collapsed. They had just been told by the German speaking Frenchwoman that a Wehrmacht Colonel had boasted of killing 12 Senegalese captives. "They are less than dogs to me". The soldier they befriended escapes across a river with their help, but to what fate? What could it have been... sticking out like a sore thumb in France as an African soldier, with the brutal Nazis having just taken over. Could he have possibly lived to make it back to Senegal?
March 30, 2019
Now I know something of the "grown-up" worthy of having The Little Prince dedicated to him.
The depth of friendship between Werth and Saint-Eupery is the heart of this book for me.
Antoine tried to have it published (with his own introduction) before the US came into the war. What a treasure to have both the book and the introduction (found separately) together again.
The flight from Paris was not the same as my expectation but was insightful and I felt the total displacement and disorientation.
The depth of friendship between Werth and Saint-Eupery is the heart of this book for me.
Antoine tried to have it published (with his own introduction) before the US came into the war. What a treasure to have both the book and the introduction (found separately) together again.
The flight from Paris was not the same as my expectation but was insightful and I felt the total displacement and disorientation.
November 27, 2016
French novelist Leon Werth recounts his family's escape from Paris after its fall to the Nazis — their slow journey into the countryside, the farmhouse they share with visiting German soldiers, and the daily quandaries about how to resist an occupying army without losing one's dignity and self-respect. The introduction by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is a beautiful meditation on exile. Good reading for our own troubled times.
July 18, 2016
I am not sure why, but I expected more. Irene Nemirovsky told of the exodus from Paris in her novel, Suite Francaise, and I felt more of an understanding of the panic and flight within her pages. Her characters were more defined, as were the circumstances.
I want to give 33 Days a two-star, but upped it to a three-star, for the historical aspect and the fact that it is a memoir.
I want to give 33 Days a two-star, but upped it to a three-star, for the historical aspect and the fact that it is a memoir.
September 9, 2015
Moving true account of L'Exode. Reads more like a diary than a book that is meant to be a narrative. The quiet as well as the tension reminded me of Empire of the Sun for some reason. Good account of something you rarely read about.
November 6, 2015
This was an unbelievable document written about the author's rootlessness after the German invasion into Paris during WWII. A firsthand account which was lost for years-incredible.
December 14, 2016
A decent eyewitness account of the flight of refugees following the German invasion and occupation of Paris in 1940. It captures the drama well, but ultimately left me a little cold.
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