"A masterpiece... No one has done more than John Lukacs to transform the short history book into an art."—Anthony Beevor

"As gripping as any novel."—Robert Harris

"A brief but magnificent history book."—Daniel Finkelstein

The days from May 24 to May 28, 1940, changed the course of twentieth-century history, as members of the British War Cabinet debated whether to negotiate with Hitler or to continue what became known as the Second World War. The decisive importance of these five days is the focus of John Lukacs's new book.

Lukacs takes us hour by hour through the critical developments at 10 Downing Street, where Churchill and his cabinet members painfully contemplated their war responsibilities. We see how the military disasters unfolding on the continent—particularly the position of nearly 400,000 British soldiers trapped at Dunkirk—affected Churchill's precarious political situation, who was only two weeks into his role as prime minister and was considered impulsive and hot-tempered even by many members of his own party.

Lukacs also explores the mood of the British people, drawing from newspaper reports and Mass Observation reports, which show how citizens, though only partially informed of the dangers threatening them, began to support Churchill's determination to stand firm.

Other historians have dealt with Churchill's difficulties during this period, using some revelations from certain memoirs and private and public documents. But Lukacs is the first to convey the drama and significance of these days, and he does so with a compelling narrative that combines deep knowledge with a high literary style.

Pages: 256, Publication Year: 0708, Dimensions: 12.7x12.7cm