Free Downloads Gold Run: The Rescue Of Norway's Gold Bullion From The Nazis, 1940
Gold Run is the true story of arguably one of the greatest gold snatches in history. It is a tale of immense bravery, endurance and great leadership of loyal Norwegians, plus a little good fortune and help from the British against intrigue and overwhelming odds.The German invasion of Norway on the night of April 8th/9th 1940 almost took Norway completely unawares; had it not been for the defiance of one small coastal battery, the Norwegian Royal Family, Government, and nearly 50 tons of gold bullion would have had no chance to escape. In desperate haste the Royal Family fled Oslo by rail, dodging bombs and strafing, eventually reaching the port of Molde which was subsequently devastated by fire bombing. The gold with extraordinary ingenuity was moved by road, rail and fishing boat, hotly pursued by the Germans. Its weight and the need for total secrecy created unique transportation problems. After several instances of near disaster, the Norwegians managed to get the gold to the coast where the Royal Navy came to the rescue. Such was the difficulty of extricating the bullion, it was not possible to load it in one cargo, and it was taken off in three Royal Navy Cruisers, HMS Enterprise, Galatea and Glasgow, from different locations. The ships were attacked in port, then constantly harassed and bombed by the Luftwaffe as they made their way back to the UK.The loss of the bullion was a blow to the Germans. They had gained a country, but lost a King, a government and huge amount of bullion that would have financed their war machine. That loss is directly attributed to a visionary bank chief, a Colonel, a hastily assembled body of Norwegians and the ships and men of the Royal Navy, ever resourceful, brave and loyal to their respective countries. This is their story.
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Casemate; First edition (May 31, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1612002862
ISBN-13: 978-1612002866
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.3 x 9.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #711,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #50 in Books > History > Europe > Scandinavia > Norway #258 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources > Historical Maps #2148 in Books > Reference > Atlases & Maps
This was a very tough book for me to rate. It took me a few days to read it, and depending on my mood, I could easily have talked myself into any rating, from 1 to 5 stars. There were things about the book I loved, and things I did not like at all.=== The Good Stuff ===* The tale is, at its heart, incredible. The Germans were determined to capture Norway, its King, and its gold bullion supply. The British thought it was a good idea to defend and support Norway, but really didn’t have troops or ships to send. The net result- a group of Norwegians, everybody from trusted bank officers to ordinary everyday tradesmen, took billions is gold and smuggled it to Britain and ultimately the United States. This was done right under the German’s noses.* The book seems well researched, and the story is backed by numerous first-person accounts. And while there is some discrepancy in these accounts, certainly no more than would expected for any story of this sort.* The writing style is “mostly” easy-to-read, although I did have some problems with it as described below. A "good" map of Norway helped a lot.* The entire story is a marvelous look at life in 1940’s Norway. Surrounding the gold smuggling is a look at the hardships of life in Norway during the German invasion, including the treachery of Nazi sympathizers in the population, food shortages, air attacks, and dealing with an occupying army. We also see the bravery of numerous citizens, as they risk life and property to do what is right for their country.=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===* The text is loaded with excerpts of first-person accounts of events-maybe 25% or so. It is a personal thing, but I hate this format of writing.
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