De Gaulle's suffering in England
A hilarious quote from a brilliant book "De Gaulle" by Julian Jackson that I simply have to share. It deals with the circumstances of Charles de Gaulle's escape to England in 1940.
The passage below was penned by Edward Spears, who was a British liaison in France at the time. Jackson characterizes him as "a maverick who was never totally trusted by either French or British", presumably because of strong currents of anti-Semitism on both sides of the Channel.
Spears started as an ardent supporter of de Gaulle but later became one of his staunchest enemies, so his memoirs should be taken with a pinch of salt. However, we can probably trust him on the following little story, which took place in Jersey, where their plane had landed for refueling...I asked de Gaulle if he wanted anything, and he said he would like a cup of coffee. I handed it to him, whereupon, taking a sip, he said, in a voice which indicated that without implying criticism he must nevertheless proclaim the truth, that this was tea and he had asked for a coffee. It was his first introduction to the tepid liquid which, in England, passes for either one or the other. His martyrdom had begun.
The passage below was penned by Edward Spears, who was a British liaison in France at the time. Jackson characterizes him as "a maverick who was never totally trusted by either French or British", presumably because of strong currents of anti-Semitism on both sides of the Channel.
Spears started as an ardent supporter of de Gaulle but later became one of his staunchest enemies, so his memoirs should be taken with a pinch of salt. However, we can probably trust him on the following little story, which took place in Jersey, where their plane had landed for refueling...I asked de Gaulle if he wanted anything, and he said he would like a cup of coffee. I handed it to him, whereupon, taking a sip, he said, in a voice which indicated that without implying criticism he must nevertheless proclaim the truth, that this was tea and he had asked for a coffee. It was his first introduction to the tepid liquid which, in England, passes for either one or the other. His martyrdom had begun.