Lisbon 1941 – City of Spies, Port of Hope
It was ‘Casablanca’ on film and Lisbon in real life ...
In the early summer of 1940, thousands of refugees arrived in Lisbon, hoping for a passage to the US, South America or even to England. Also in Lisbon, German agents and British spies watched each other warily, uncertain about double agents in their midst. German buyers tried to purchase large quantities of tinned sardines for Hitler’s hungry Eastern Army and, more importantly, the rare and irreplaceable tungsten for their steel industry, which, of course, the British knew and counteracted. In between, local clans had their sights set on unexpected earning opportunities, while the Portuguese dictator Salazar balanced on a tightrope between all parties.
With aplomb, Smoltczyk brings to life the war-time meeting place of exiles, agents and the battlefield in the fight over sardines and tungsten.
- A little-known and exciting chapter of contemporary history
- For readers of Florian Illies, Oliver Hilmes and Andrea Wulf
- A sparkling gem of narrative history presented to readers by an award-winning journalist
Alexander Smoltczyk studied Economics, Political Science and Agricultural Economics in Berlin and Montpellier. He has written for taz, merian, Geo and other magazines. From 1997, he was a reporter for SPIEGEL, has lived as a correspondent in Paris, Rome, Abu Dhabi and Lisbon and today works as a freelance author for SPIEGEL. Smoltczyk has received numerous awards, including the Henri Nannen Prize.
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