Review of 'Their Finest Hour (Second World War)' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
This volume describes key events and battles from May to December 1940 when Britain stood alone against the might of the Nazis (and subsequently the Italians). Winston Churchill describes the theme of the volume as "How the British people held the fort alone till those who hitherto had been half blind were half ready" which sums it up exactly. This narrative of Churchill's involvement shows just how much he contributed to the direction that the war took including suggestions for the design of such things as aerial mines and amphibious vehicles for landing tanks, countless telegrams to President Roosevelt to ask for help, his subtle and diplomatic handling of the Vichy Government and his understanding of battle strategy and tactics.
Here we have a first-hand account of the fall of France, Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk, the Blitz, the thwarted German Operation Sea Lion, the Battle of Britain and also the …
This volume describes key events and battles from May to December 1940 when Britain stood alone against the might of the Nazis (and subsequently the Italians). Winston Churchill describes the theme of the volume as "How the British people held the fort alone till those who hitherto had been half blind were half ready" which sums it up exactly. This narrative of Churchill's involvement shows just how much he contributed to the direction that the war took including suggestions for the design of such things as aerial mines and amphibious vehicles for landing tanks, countless telegrams to President Roosevelt to ask for help, his subtle and diplomatic handling of the Vichy Government and his understanding of battle strategy and tactics.
Here we have a first-hand account of the fall of France, Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk, the Blitz, the thwarted German Operation Sea Lion, the Battle of Britain and also the important role played by the British scientific community (the so-called "Wizard War"). The volume includes maps and diagrams to help understand the troop movements during the battles as well as Churchill's personal minutes and telegrams and various tables of facts and figures which soberly present the massive losses incurred. Also included are snippets from some of Churchill's famous addresses to the British and French nations which helped to rally the spirits of ordinary folk in horrendously difficult times. Similarly, despite the obviously grim subject matter, Churchill manages to inject his account with some dry humour to help lift the reader's spirits. For example, directly after a telegram to the Minister of Supply showing how concerned Churchill was about the lack of a particular kind of small arms ammunition we get this nugget:
"The reader must pardon this next minute.
Prime Minister to First Lord 18.IX.40
Surely you can run to a new Admiralty flag. It grieves me to see the present dingy object every morning."
And about General de Gaulle of whom Churchill had the utmost respect:
"He also felt it to be essential to his position before the French people that he should maintain a haughty demeanour towards 'perfidious Albion', although an exile, dependent upon our protection and dwelling in our midst. He had to be rude to the British to prove to French eyes that he was not a British puppet. He certainly carried out this policy with perseverance."
This was a book that I just couldn't put down and I devoured it in a couple of days only to be left wishing that I also had all the other volumes to hand (as well as wishing that I'd started with Volume I, obviously!). Churchill thoroughly deserved his Nobel Prize for this remarkable contribution to literature.
