Review of 'Lotharingia; a personal history of France, Germany, and the countries in between' by Simon Winder

Another enjoyable popular history book from Simon Winder, again with lots that I didn't know, despite having covered some of the periods in History 'A' Level. I'd never heard of the Cautionary Towns, for example, and neither had a well-informed Dutch friend that I asked about it.

Once again I think he gets less good as he approaches the modern period, and I think his account of the Nazi period and the campaigns through this area in 1940 and in 1944-5 are a bit idiosyncratic. 

But these are quibbles, and it's not as if he offers a full-blown revisionist history of WW2 or anything like that. It's really worth reading, and like I said, enjoyable. Again it makes me want to visit the places and look at the works of art he describes.