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Appeasement

Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill, and the Road to War

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Appeasement

Written by: Tim Bouverie
Narrated by: John Sessions
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About this listen

A New York Times Editors’ Choice • Sunday Times (UK) best seller

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.

Appeasement 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 and 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, we embark on a fascinating journey 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 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.

“An eye-opening narrative that makes for exciting but at times uncomfortable reading as one reflects on possible lessons for the present.” (Antonia Fraser, author of Mary Queen of Scots)

©2019 Tim Bouverie (P)2019 Random House Audio
Great Britain International Relations United States Wars & Conflicts Military War Winston Churchill Royalty Imperialism King Authoritarianism England Prisoners of War Interwar Period
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What the critics say

“It is refreshing that Tim Bouverie, a bright young British historian, should devote his debut book to debunking many of the pro-appeasement myths and reminding us that, in fact, it should be the anti-appeaser Winston Churchill who deserves the laurels.... Mr. Bouverie has been diligent in researching the sources and has an eye for the telling anecdote and aperçu.... The appeasement story and its lessons are ones for the ages.” (Andrew Roberts, The Wall Street Journal)

“Comprehensive and immersive.... This is well-paced narrative history: intelligent, lucid, riveting - even while possessing the terrible knowledge of what happened next.” (Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times)

"An astonishingly accomplished debut. Bouverie writes with a wonderful clarity and we will no doubt hear a lot more of his voice in the future." (Antony Beevor, author of Stalingrad)

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Excellent book but annoying narration

The author has seamlessly integrated a lot of material, much of it new (based on letters and diaries). To that extent I enjoyed it and learned a lot. However, the narrator does several things that are annoying and detract from the listening experience: (a) he mostly reads too slowly (I had to increase the audio speed to 1.25); (b) he is often unnecessarily dramatic; and (c) he tries to mimic the voices of key players such as Churchill, Chamberlain, and Hitler. A more straightforward delivery would have been much better.

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