Haverhill Public Library

Appeasement, Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill, and the road to war, Tim Bouverie

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages [421]-463) and index

illustrationsmaps

index present

non fiction

Appeasement

bibliography

1042099346

Tim Bouverie

Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill, and the road to war

"A new history of the British appeasement of the Third Reich on the eve of World War II"--, Provided by publisher"A gripping new history of the British appeasement of Hitler on the eve of World War II. On a wet afternoon in September 1938, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain stepped off an airplane and announced that his visit to Hitler had averted the greatest crisis in recent memory. It was, he later assured the crowd in Downing Street, "peace for our time." Less than a year later, Germany invaded Poland and the Second World War began. [This book] is a groundbreaking history of the disastrous years of indecision, failed diplomacy and parliamentary infighting that enabled Hitler's domination of Europe. Drawing on deep archival research, including sources not previously seen by historians, Tim Bouverie has created an unforgettable portrait of the ministers, aristocrats, and amateur diplomats who, through their actions, and inaction, shaped their country's policy and determined the fate of Europe. Beginning with the advent of Hitler in 1933, this captivating narrative traces the path from the early days of the Third Reich to the beaches of Dunkirk. Bouverie takes us not only into the backrooms of Parliament and 10 Downing Street but also into the drawing rooms and dining clubs of fading imperial Britain, where Hitler enjoyed surprising support among the ruling class and even some members of the royal family. Both sweeping and intimate, Appeasement is not only an eye-opening new history but a timeless lesson on the challenges of standing up to aggression and authoritarianism--and the calamity that results from failing to do so."--Dust jacket

Preface: "Never again!" -- Prologue: The storm breaks -- The Hitler experiment -- "I sing of arms and the man" -- Tea with Hitler -- The Abyssinian imbroglio -- Across the Rhine -- The defense of the realm -- Hitler's wonderland -- Enter Chamberlain -- Hunting for peace -- "Bowlers are back!" -- The rape of Austria -- Last train from Berlin -- Hons and rebels -- A faraway country -- The crisis breaks -- To the brink -- A piece of paper -- Peace for our time -- Chamberlain betrayed -- Deterring the dictators -- The last season -- Final hours -- Ghosts of appeasement -- The fall of Chamberlain -- Appeasement's last stand -- Epilogue: "Guilty men."