Last Boat From Bordeaux: A Valiant Recount Of Escape From Nazis

In honor of Victory in Europe Day, the French Cultural Center is hosting Dr. Francis de Marneffe for a talk on his heroic flight from Nazi Europe as chronicled in his memoir Last Boat from Bordeaux.

Traveling across Europe alone as a 16-year old, Dr. de Marneffe narrowly escaped from advancing German troops at the time of the invasion of Belgium in 1940. As Europe began to fall to Nazi rule, he journeyed west to France, overcoming many obstacles and seizing unexpected opportunities before taking the last boat from Bordeaux to England.

A first-hand witness to the chaotic and dangerous weeks leading up to the German occupation of France, Dr. de Marneffe will speak about his understanding of the political and cultural moment of Nazi power and European appeasement, the plight of the refugee populations he encountered, and the relation between history and memory in our perception of the Second World War.

Dr. de Marneffe now serves as Co-Chair of the Boston Chapter of the French Heritage Society and general director emeritus and senior consulting psychiatrist of McLean Hospital. He is also on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Last Boat from Bordeaux will be available for sale at the event. Talk will be followed by a book signing and reception.

Event info, photo, and text provided by the French Cultural Center.