WWII evacuation

I just finished a 2007 book entitled "Fleeing Hitler: France 1940" about the more or less spontaneoous evacuation of Paris as the Germans were moving to take and occupy the city and surrounding areas.

While this scenario is unlikely today, many aspects of the book are eerily similar to what we've all read about and, from what you've written, some of you have experienced first hand.

Basically, the government didn't communicate honestly with its citizens; the rich bolted early but their cars broke down and ran out of gas; almost no one took what they really needed; families were separated; looting and worse; and on and on.

The book is an historical account rather than a manual on how to do it right but it makes for interesting reading.

Fleeing Hitler: France 1940
by Hanna Diamond
2007 Oxford University Press
ISBN 978-0-19-280618-5

Sounds like when my wife's work evacuated on 9/11
They evacuated the lawyers first then the staff.

It sounds like a good read.
I suspect there are strong similarities to more recent evacuations.
I would bet that future evacuations will be more of the same.

History has many lessons to teach, and the best predictor of future behavior is past performances.

Cool, that sounds like a good read.
Thanks

-Blast

Interesting reference, thanks. Seems human behavior hasn't changed much since then. Even with years and months of warning of an impending crisis, most people still wait until the last minute or fail to prepare at all.




Whew, glad that doesn't happen anymore.

Eugene,

Seriously... I hope she doesn't work for that firm anymore. Any employer that "tiers" employees in times of crisis like that is not a company you want to associate with. Even if you are one of the chosen few at the top. Is speaks volumes about their character.

We both changed jobs shortly after, hopefully neither of us will need to work downtown again.

I don't know what to say about this. Whoever made the call on this was either heartless or an idiot. Glad your wife left this place. I was working at a law firm about six blocks southeast from the WTC that day. The firm was pretty much all male lawyers and mostly female staff. Myself and another lawyer were the firt to go out, but we went for lunch, bought it for all and brought it back. Then we made sure the women had someplace to go and way, or at least plan on how, to get there before leaving.