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Britain at Bay: The Epic Story of the Second World War, 1938-1941
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About This Book
A sweeping, groundbreaking epic that combines military with social history, to illuminate the ways in which Great Britain and its people were permanently transformed by the Second World War. Here is the many-faceted, world-historically signficant story of Britain at war. In looking closely at the military and political dimensions of the conflict, Alan Allport seeks to answer questions such as could the war have been avoided? Could it have been lost? Were the strategic decisions the rights ones? How well did the British organize and fight? How well did the British live up to their own values? What difference did the war make in the end to the fate of the nation? In answering these and other essential questions he focuses--unlike many historians--on the human contingencies of the war, looking directly at the roles of individuals and the outcomes determined by luck or chance. Moreover, he looks intimately at the changes in war-time and post-war British society and culture. Whether discussing the mixing of classes during the war or the labor party movement, he shows us in great detail the effects of the war, again not only on the institutional, but on an individual level as well. For better or worse, much of Britain today is ultimately the product of the experiences of 1939-1942.
Reviews
"Allport demonstrates vast knowledge of relevant primary and secondary sources and covers a broad range of events and activities."
"The opening battles of World War II, including the Battle of Britain in 1940 and the Blitz in 1940-41 as well as the earliest battles in North Africa and the beginning of Britain's bombing campaign are given sharp and concise explorations that highlight the roles of lesser-known but vital figures."
"unusually informative and stimulating ..."
"carries a modest whiff of revisionism ..."
"Expertly researched and marvelously written, this sterling history casts an oft-studied subject in a new light."
"It reaches to deeper levels—of geography and grand strategy, and wartime logistics, of shipping logistics and troop deployments ..."
"demonstrate[s] well what we can learn and need to relearn about Britain's People's War ..."
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