British & Commonwealth - Armed Forces, Great Britain - Politics & Government, Europe - Political Biography, World War II, British History - General & Miscellaneous, Aviation - Military
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Overview
The days from May 24 to May 28, 1940, altered the course of the history of this century, as the members of the British War Cabinet debated whether to negotiate with or to continue the war against Hitler. The decisive importance of these five days is the focus of John Lukacs's new book.. "Lukacs takes us hour by hour into the critical unfolding of events at 10 Downing Street, where Churchill and the members of his cabinet were painfully considering their war responsibilities. Lukacs also investigates the mood of the British people, drawing on newspaper and Mass-Observation reports that show how the citizenry, though only partly informed about the dangers that faced them, nevertheless began to support Churchill's determination to stand fast.Synopsis
The days from May 24 to May 28, 1940, altered the course of the history of this century, as the members of the British War Cabinet debated whether to negotiate with or to continue the war against Hitler. The decisive importance of these five days is the focus of John Lukacs's new book.. "Lukacs takes us hour by hour into the critical unfolding of events at 10 Downing Street, where Churchill and the members of his cabinet were painfully considering their war responsibilities. Lukacs also investigates the mood of the British people, drawing on newspaper and Mass-Observation reports that show how the citizenry, though only partly informed about the dangers that faced them, nevertheless began to support Churchill's determination to stand fast.
Boston Globe - Robert Taylor
John Lukacs's account of five dramatic days in May 1940, when Winston Churchill and his Cabinet had to decide whether to negotiate or stand alone against Hitler, is a relatively compact book, but it has the power and sweep of Shakespeare's chronicle plays. . . . One of Lukacs's impressive strengths is a gripping narrative drive. He is lucid and splendidly readable, and furthermore, commands a host of dramatic characters.
Editorials
Brian Bethune
A superb reconstruction of a crucial moment in the war.— Maclean's
Kai Bird
This gem of a book . . . is a compelling antidote for those afflicted with historical amnesia. —Washington PostLynwood Abram
Those concerned with the long tides of history and with the coils of chance in human destiny will delight in the elegant, searching and affecting book Lukacs has written about a critical time.—Houston Chronicle
M. F. Perutz
A gripping historical drama. . . . Lucaks's story is not new,...but he has transformed it into a memorable drama.— (New York Review of Books)
Michael Korda
Superb . . . can be compared to such classics as Trevor-Roper’s The Last Days of Hitler and Tuchman’s The Guns of August. —Harper’s MagazineRobert Taylor
[This book] has the power and sweep of Shakespeare’s chronicle plays. —Boston GlobeRobert Taylor
John Lukacs's account of five dramatic days in May 1940, when Winston Churchill and his Cabinet had to decide whether to negotiate or stand alone against Hitler, is a relatively compact book, but it has the power and sweep of Shakespeare's chronicle plays. . . . One of Lukacs's impressive strengths is a gripping narrative drive. He is lucid and splendidly readable, and furthermore, commands a host of dramatic characters.—Boston Globe
Stanley Weintraub
[A] fascinating work of historical reconstruction. . . . [Lukacs] gives us much to ponder in this intriguing—and perhaps still controversial—story. —Wall Street JournalTimes (London)
A brilliant, heavyweight little book.... This is a modern history that refuses easy answers: its skillful concision cuts painfully to the bone and spills real blood on the carpets of Whitehall and Westminster."Times (London)
A brilliant, heavyweight little book.Publishers Weekly
Eminent historian Lukacs (Thread of Years, etc.) delivers the crown jewel to his long and distinguished career with this account of five days--May 24-28, 1940--"that could have changed the world." Lukacs posits that it was during those five days in London "that Western civilization, not to mention the Allied cause in WWII, was saved from Hitler's tyranny." A grand view, to be sure, but the consequences are not in dispute: "Had Britain stopped fighting in May 1940, Hitler would have won his war," writes Lukacs. "Thus he was never closer to victory than during those five days in May 1940." A quarter-million British troops were trapped by the Germans at Dunkirk. The British public, ill-informed about this reality, remained apathetic, and the War Cabinet was divided over what action to take. Neither the United States nor the Soviet Union had yet entered the war, but Churchill resolved to fight "till Hitler is beat or we cease to be a state." Lukacs draws heavily on newspapers and public opinion research of the time to re-create the rapid series of events that turned the tide, swaying both the citizenry and the War Cabinet to rally behind Churchill. Though Churchill did not win the war in May 1940, as Lukacs puts it, he "did not lose it" then. Lukacs covered some of the same turf in The Duel, yet this new work focuses on these five days with a microscopic view. It is the work of a man who lives and breathes history, whose knowledge is limitless and tuned to a pitch that rings true. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.Library Journal
By May 1940, just one year into World War II, Great Britain stood virtually alone against Hitler and the unstoppable German Army. Belgium and France were only days away from capitulation, and the British Expeditionary Force was being squeezed into the beachhead at Dunkirk. Things were not going at all well for Britain, and Churchill and his War Cabinet had some tough decisions to make. Lukacs, a history professor and prolific author (The Hitler of History) examines the dynamics of the five days, May 24-28, 1940, when Churchill and his War Cabinet actually debated whether to negotiate peace with Hitler. This scholarly study reveals the drama, uncertainty, suspense, and courage of the men who would ultimately decide the fate of Britain. This is a marvelous example of the complex, behind-the-scenes diplomatic wrangling involved in seeking a national advantage in the deadly game of strategic move and countermove. Recommended for public and academic libraries.--William D. Bushnell, USMC (ret.), Brunswick, ME Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.Boston Globe
Lukac's account of five dramatic days in May 1940, when Winston Churchill and his Cabinet had to decide whether to negotiate or stand alone aginst Hitler...has the power and sweep of Shakespeare's chronicle plays.—Robert Taylor
Houston Chronicle
[An] elegant, searching and affecting book.—Lynwood Abram
Publishers Weekly
Eminent historian Lukacs delivers the crown jewel to his long and distinguished career.... It is a work of a man who lives and breathes history, whose knowledge is limitless and tuned to a pitch that rings true.Book Details
Published
August 1, 2001
Publisher
Yale University Press
Pages
256
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780300084665