Charmian Brinson and Richard Dove have both published extensively in the field of German and Austrian exile studies. As members of the Research Centre for German and Austrian Exile Studies at the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies, University of London, their publications on German-speaking refugees are both informative and influential. In recent years, interest in the field of exile studies has grown substantially, with a wide range of events being organized, along with a number of publications dedicated to particular aspects of exile, most notably focusing on the period 1933–45.

The authors of Politics by Other Means, 1939–1945, with a chapter by Anna Müller-Härlin, address the much-neglected refugee organization, the Free German League of Culture (FGLC) in London, from its inception to its demise. In its seven-year existence, the FGLC became one of Britain’s largest German-speaking organizations for antifascism. It was concerned with preserving the culture, society, and politics of German-speaking refugees in Britain, with an aim to return to Germany and continue the reestablishment of German culture after the Second World War. Brinson and Dove have asserted that there has not been any previous full-length publication on the league to date, in any language, and while there have been brief encounters with the FGLC in various disciplines, this text provides a comprehensive insight into the history and organization of the league’s various outputs and its relationship with affiliated organizations.

The book comprises four main parts, with an introduction, conclusion, and postscript. The introduction serves as a means to place the league in context: it highlights the influence of the Second World War, emphasizing particularly the FGLC’s supposed affiliation with the Communist Party. Inevitably, the league was viewed with suspicion, and many members became disillusioned with the organization’s somewhat fragmented ideological outlook, which contributed to its dissolution in 1946. The subsequent sections of the book follow the league’s transformation throughout the war. Brinson and Dove assert four main stages to this story: the first explores the league’s foundation and development of a wide program of lectures and cultural events. The second phase is marked by the German invasion of Russia in June 1941, resulting in the FGLC being released from the constraints of the Nazi-Soviet pact. This led to the third stage, defined by the league’s work from the middle of 1941 until mid 1943, in which they declared complete support for the integration of refugees into the British war effort. Finally, the fourth phase sees the league turn its attention to the postwar situation.

The early days of the league have been highly contested: its foundation has come under scrutiny with reports of its establishment from December 1938, February 1939, and even as late as March 1939. Although these contradictory accounts have not been resolved, the authors of the book provide sufficient evidence that the FGLC was finally constituted on 1 March 1939, with Manfred (Fred) Uhlman elected as chairman and Hans Schellenberger as secretary. The league proclaimed itself as “a German, anti-Nazi, anti-fascist, non-party, refugee organisation” (16). While it developed a series of successful cultural events and lectures, well received by members and nonmembers alike, the FGLC membership suffered because of the strong links with communism held by a number of important figures within the organization. In contrast to the 40,000 German refugees in London, at its peak the FGLC attracted only around 1,500 members.

In order to appeal widely to the émigré community in Britain, the FGLC was split into five constituent sections—writers, actors, artists, musicians, and scientists. Part 2 of this text explores each of these five sections, providing an astute overview of achievements, including publications, exhibitions, concerts and performances, academic conferences, and lectures. A chapter by Anna Müller-Härlin looks at the artists’ section of the FGLC, the branch that has probably attracted the most scholarship so far, contributing a particularly insightful account of the activities of the sections’ members, most notably the influence of Oskar Kokoschka and the photomontage artist John Heartfield. While part 2 of the book is concerned with the artistic and cultural achievements of the FGLC, it would have benefited from the inclusion of a larger selection of illustrations and photographs.

As the war drew on, the artistic focus of the league subsided to make way for its commitment to the struggle against fascism. While events continued, they took on a more overtly political overtone, such as, for example, the 1942 exhibition “Allies inside Germany.” The year 1942 saw renewed demand for the creation of a Second Front, which would finally split the league. The second half of Brinson and Dove’s text details the formation of a number of breakaway organizations, specifically the Free German Youth, the Free German Movement, and the Communist Club. With the end of the war, the FGLC turned its attentions to the reestablishment of German culture on German soil. Many of its members aimed to return to the now-split Germany; some returned to the Soviet Zone of Occupation (German Democratic Republic), but many chose to stay in Britain. The dissolution of the FGLC took place from 1 February to 1 May 1946. As Brinson and Dove so acutely assert, from its inception, the league was riddled by political tensions and financial difficulties. They conclude that although there is little or no direct legacy, the league’s impressive cultural program provided support, encouragement, and a public platform for emerging émigré talent in Britain. It was far less successful in its political achievements; however, its greatest failure lay in its relations with the British authorities.

Although there are some repetitions, the book should be commended for its structural formation. While it follows a loosely chronological path, Brinson and Dove highlight the main stages of the FGLC’s existence by focusing on the progress of the league in response to its ever-changing political and cultural surroundings. The book heavily utilizes primary material ranging from correspondence and lectures to newsletters and publications, providing a richly diverse context for the placing of the FGLC as a significant organization in the history of German-speaking refugees and, more widely, as a noteworthy contribution to the sociohistorical developments in Britain during the Second World War.