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Such Splendid Prisons: Diplomatic Detainment in America during World War II
2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards, Silver Medal Winner
2020-21 Reader Views Literary Awards Bronze Medal Winner
In the chaotic days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Roosevelt administration made a dubious decision affecting hundreds of Axis diplomats remaining in the nation’s capital. To encourage reciprocal treatment of U.S. diplomats trapped abroad, Roosevelt sent Axis diplomats to remote luxury hotels—a move that enraged Americans stunned by the attack. This cause célèbre drove a fascinating yet forgotten the roundup, detention, and eventual repatriation of more than a thousand German, Japanese, Italian, Bulgarian, and Hungarian diplomats, families, staff, servants, journalists, students, businessmen, and spies.
Such Splendid Prisons follows five of these internees whose privileged worlds came crashing down after December 7, 1941: a suave, calculating Nazi ambassador and his charming but conflicted wife; a wily veteran Japanese journalist; a beleaguered American wife of a Japanese spy posing as a diplomat; and a spirited but naive college-aged daughter of a German military attaché.
The close, albeit luxurious, proximity in which these Axis power emissaries were forced to live with each other stripped away the veneer of false prewar diplomatic bonhomie. Conflicts ran deep not only among the captives but also among the rival U.S. agencies overseeing a detainment fraught with uncertainty, duplicity, lust, and romance. Harvey Solomon re-creates this wartime American period of deluxe detention, public outrage, hidden agendas, rancor and racism, and political machinations in a fascinating but forgotten story.
2020-21 Reader Views Literary Awards Bronze Medal Winner
In the chaotic days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Roosevelt administration made a dubious decision affecting hundreds of Axis diplomats remaining in the nation’s capital. To encourage reciprocal treatment of U.S. diplomats trapped abroad, Roosevelt sent Axis diplomats to remote luxury hotels—a move that enraged Americans stunned by the attack. This cause célèbre drove a fascinating yet forgotten the roundup, detention, and eventual repatriation of more than a thousand German, Japanese, Italian, Bulgarian, and Hungarian diplomats, families, staff, servants, journalists, students, businessmen, and spies.
Such Splendid Prisons follows five of these internees whose privileged worlds came crashing down after December 7, 1941: a suave, calculating Nazi ambassador and his charming but conflicted wife; a wily veteran Japanese journalist; a beleaguered American wife of a Japanese spy posing as a diplomat; and a spirited but naive college-aged daughter of a German military attaché.
The close, albeit luxurious, proximity in which these Axis power emissaries were forced to live with each other stripped away the veneer of false prewar diplomatic bonhomie. Conflicts ran deep not only among the captives but also among the rival U.S. agencies overseeing a detainment fraught with uncertainty, duplicity, lust, and romance. Harvey Solomon re-creates this wartime American period of deluxe detention, public outrage, hidden agendas, rancor and racism, and political machinations in a fascinating but forgotten story.
- GenresHistory
360 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2020
11 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Harvey Solomon
6 books6 followersHarvey Solomon is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. His most recent book, Such Splendid Prisons: Diplomatic Detainment in America during World War II, is out from Potomac Books. Please see the C-SPAN video of his Politics & Prose event above under influences. Upcoming events include the Greenbrier Hotel, A New Chapter, Library of Congress, Barrington Books, Harvard Book Store and more pending.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 7, 2020
Very interesting story about an unknown aspect of World War II on the Homefront: how to house and manage the hundreds diplomats from Germany, Italy, Japan, and other Axis countries until they could be exchanged for American diplomats. And it wasn't just the Axis diplomats in the United States, but also Axis diplomats from throughout the entire Western Hemisphere.
I was glad to see the Greenbrier Hotel play such a big role in the book. My husband is from White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where the Greenbrier Hotel is located. He worked at the grand hotel as a young man, as did many of his family members and friends in that small town. The hotel has a long, storied history; it was used as a hospital twice (in both the Civil War and World War II), and it is still a grand resort that continues to support much of the economy in southeastern West Virginia.
I wish the book had gone through one more proofread before being published. I found at least one mostly insignificant error in each chapter (e.g., Greenbrier Country, instead of Greenbrier County; a name cited in the text is not the same name given in a reference, etc.). Those are picky, I admit.
Thank you, Harvey Solomon for such a well-researched, engaging read and an informative bibliography. I'm now tempted to read several of the books that Solomon used as sources such as Robert Conte's History of the Greenbrier, Max Hill's Exchange Ship, The Lost War by Masuo Kato, and Bridge to the Sun by Gwen Teraski.
The author lives in our neighborhood and gave my husband a copy of the book.
I was glad to see the Greenbrier Hotel play such a big role in the book. My husband is from White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where the Greenbrier Hotel is located. He worked at the grand hotel as a young man, as did many of his family members and friends in that small town. The hotel has a long, storied history; it was used as a hospital twice (in both the Civil War and World War II), and it is still a grand resort that continues to support much of the economy in southeastern West Virginia.
I wish the book had gone through one more proofread before being published. I found at least one mostly insignificant error in each chapter (e.g., Greenbrier Country, instead of Greenbrier County; a name cited in the text is not the same name given in a reference, etc.). Those are picky, I admit.
Thank you, Harvey Solomon for such a well-researched, engaging read and an informative bibliography. I'm now tempted to read several of the books that Solomon used as sources such as Robert Conte's History of the Greenbrier, Max Hill's Exchange Ship, The Lost War by Masuo Kato, and Bridge to the Sun by Gwen Teraski.
The author lives in our neighborhood and gave my husband a copy of the book.
October 13, 2021
Going into this semi-popular history, my main question was whether the author would maintain a good balance between being informative, and being entertaining. With the answer being most certainly yes. Imagine a real-life version of a "reality" TV show, as a group of people used to being cosseted and fussed over suddenly find themselves hostages; well-taken care of hostages, but hostages all the same. In particular, Solomon manages the neat trick of maintaining some empathy for these people as a group, while never overlooking their delusions. Highly recommended.
March 22, 2020
While it is well known that the Greenbrier was of historic significance during the Cold War, learning the role it and the Homestead in particular played in the days after Pearl Harbor was truly enlightening. Solomon skillfully guides the reader through this most unique experience these privileged “prisoners “ endured. A definite excellent addition to World War II historic reading.
December 17, 2020
In “Such Splendid Prisons,” Harvey Solomon takes us into the worlds of five Axis diplomats who were detained by the United States during World War II. Solomon begins his story by introducing us to these detainees and their families. While they each came from different backgrounds, they were all a part of the socially elite crowd. Several of their stories involved subterfuge and even espionage. It is quickly apparent that not all are whom they pretend to be. Many of them had issues with those who were from other countries. Placing them together made their lives much more difficult because of the animosity.
Solomon writes in a manner that makes the reader feel like they are watching the detainees lives rather than reading about them. He chose interesting, yet somewhat eccentric individuals whom I found fascinating. The settings are vividly described and easy to picture. There are also many photographs of these individuals. Before December 7, 1941, it was a time when these people flourished and played interesting roles in our history. Being part of the socially elite, they were accustomed to luxury and social protocol. Then everything changed for them. Despite being moved to luxurious hotels, nothing made up for their loss of freedom. They were granted exceptional treatment in hopes that United States diplomats, who were in other countries, would be treated equally well. They not only became detainees to prevent them from committing acts against our country, but also to protect them from Americans who took issue with them still being allowed to be in the United States and living in such fine quarters.
I truly wish I hadn’t blown through my social science classes in high school and college. I would do what I had to do to get an A or B, but not enough to have the knowledge set in my memory. As I am getting older, I realize that I wish I had paid a lot more attention to history. Trying to make up for lost time, I am reading books and watching documentaries. This time, I am enjoying the experience. “Such Splendid Prisons,” makes an excellent reading selection for others like me. Readers will a passion for history will also enjoy it. It really opened my eyes to learning more about a huge issue, during World War II, that wasn’t greatly discussed during my education. I appreciate how well the author makes his words flow. He seamlessly blends referenced material so the reader does not feel like they are reading a textbook. I also appreciated the epilogue where I got to see how people who were mentioned in the book, finished up their lives.
“Such Splendid Prisons,” tells an eye-opening story about a period of time in the history of the United States where seemingly innocent individuals had their freedoms taken away. In addition to being well written, it also has been well researched. I highly recommend it!
Solomon writes in a manner that makes the reader feel like they are watching the detainees lives rather than reading about them. He chose interesting, yet somewhat eccentric individuals whom I found fascinating. The settings are vividly described and easy to picture. There are also many photographs of these individuals. Before December 7, 1941, it was a time when these people flourished and played interesting roles in our history. Being part of the socially elite, they were accustomed to luxury and social protocol. Then everything changed for them. Despite being moved to luxurious hotels, nothing made up for their loss of freedom. They were granted exceptional treatment in hopes that United States diplomats, who were in other countries, would be treated equally well. They not only became detainees to prevent them from committing acts against our country, but also to protect them from Americans who took issue with them still being allowed to be in the United States and living in such fine quarters.
I truly wish I hadn’t blown through my social science classes in high school and college. I would do what I had to do to get an A or B, but not enough to have the knowledge set in my memory. As I am getting older, I realize that I wish I had paid a lot more attention to history. Trying to make up for lost time, I am reading books and watching documentaries. This time, I am enjoying the experience. “Such Splendid Prisons,” makes an excellent reading selection for others like me. Readers will a passion for history will also enjoy it. It really opened my eyes to learning more about a huge issue, during World War II, that wasn’t greatly discussed during my education. I appreciate how well the author makes his words flow. He seamlessly blends referenced material so the reader does not feel like they are reading a textbook. I also appreciated the epilogue where I got to see how people who were mentioned in the book, finished up their lives.
“Such Splendid Prisons,” tells an eye-opening story about a period of time in the history of the United States where seemingly innocent individuals had their freedoms taken away. In addition to being well written, it also has been well researched. I highly recommend it!
January 29, 2022
The author spends an inordinate amount of time describing in detail the soirees and the fashions worn by German, Italian, and Japanese diplomats at official functions before the United States entered World War II after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and the declarations of war against the United States by Germany and Italy in the days following. The reader has to get through 94 pages about the parties and FBI investigations of diplomats until the story of detainment finally begins. The “splendid prisons” is a references to the Greenbrier and Homestead hotels where the diplomats were interned during the war, and the author goes into great detail about the lavish treatment accorded them because the Roosevelt Administration was concerned with reciprocal treatment of American internees in Japan and Germany. The trouble is that the reader doesn’t find out how poorly the Americans were being treated until the end of the book, when the internees from the warring nations were repatriated in neutral Lisbon, and the malnourished, threadbare Americans are confronted with the sight of well-fed Japanese in all their sartorial finery. The endless references to “reciprocity” in the book would have been more powerful had a lengthier description of the treatment of American internees been included.
On a minor note, but worth mentioning: the author writes (in the present tense, used throughout this book) that the Enola Gay “releases the world’s first atomic bomb” on Hiroshima (p 279). Surely an editor should have caught that error. The world’s first atomic bomb was the one detonated on July 16, 1945, at Alamogordo, New Mexico - the Trinity test.
On a minor note, but worth mentioning: the author writes (in the present tense, used throughout this book) that the Enola Gay “releases the world’s first atomic bomb” on Hiroshima (p 279). Surely an editor should have caught that error. The world’s first atomic bomb was the one detonated on July 16, 1945, at Alamogordo, New Mexico - the Trinity test.
March 14, 2020
Such Splendid Prisons: Diplomatic Detainment in America during World War II by Harvey Solomon provided a fascinating look at a whole aspect of WWII that I had never even heard mentioned. It is the story of how the United States housed the Axis diplomats and their families who were living here when war was declared. I have visited the Greenbrier Resort several times and was amazed by both its beauty and history and was excited to learn about another whole aspect of their story. The book also shares information on the other grand hotels used as "prisons" like the Homestead, the Grove Park Inn in Ashville, the Gibson Hotel in Cincinnati, Hotel Hershey, and the Triangle T Ranch. Solomon also shares many personal stories about the detainees that makes you realize how war affects us all. If you are interested in WWII or famous hotels you should enjoy. Maryellen Garrison
April 23, 2022
There is always more to the human drama of war than the horror of being in a combat zone. Harvey Solomon narrates what life was like for axis diplomates being held in American luxury detention. His story strongly lends itself to becoming a PBS series.
July 16, 2020
Fascinating history of the treatment of german, italian and japanese diplomats who lived in USA during ww2
September 4, 2025
Interesting - now I want to go to all the hotels...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews