Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Outstanding examination of why France failed in 1940

In my opinion this is as masterful an exegesis as Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, particularly since it covers such a sweep of European history in excellent detail. The reader is drawn into the myriad of influences beginning with the defeat by Prussia in 1870 through the Dreyfus Affair and WWI and culminating in the resurgence of Germany under Hitler. The evidence is developed showing how and why France failed to meet the challenge posed by Germany; we also learn what befell the principal players after the war. A mesmerizing account: despite its length I found it difficult to put down, wanting to finish it at one sitting. I recommend it very highly indeed.