One of the most fascinating works of history ever written, Winston Churchill's
monumental The Second World War is a six-volume account of the struggle of the
Allied powers in Europe against Germany and the Axis. Told through the eyes of
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, The Second World War is also the story
of one nation?s singular, heroic role in the fight against tyranny. Pride and
patriotism are evident everywhere in Churchill?s dramatic account and for good
reason. Having learned a lesson at Munich that they would never forget, the
British refused to make peace with Hitler, defying him even after France had
fallen and after it seemed as though the Nazis were unstoppable. Churchill
remained unbowed throughout, as did the people of Britain in whose determination
and courage he placed his confidence.

Patriotic as Churchill was, he managed to maintain a balanced impartiality in
his description of the war. What is perhaps most interesting, and what lends
the work its tension and emotion, is Churchill?s inclusion of a significant
amount of primary material. We hear his retrospective analysis of the war, to
be sure, but we are also presented with memos, letters, orders, speeches, and
telegrams that give a day-by-day account of the reactions - both mistaken and
justified - to the unfolding drama. Strategies and counterstrategies develop
to respond to Hitler?s ruthless conquest of Europe, his planned invasion of
England, and his treacherous assault on Russia. It is a mesmerizing account
of the crucial decisions that have to be made with imperfect knowledge and an
awareness that the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

In Their Finest Hour, the second volume of this work, Churchill describes the
German invasion of France and the growing sense of dismay on the part of the
British and French leadership as it becomes clear that the German war machine
is simply too overpowering. As the French defenses begin to crumble, Churchill
faces some bleak options: should the British meet France's desperate pleas for
reinforcements of troops, ships, and aircraft in the hopes of turning the tide,
or should they husband their resources in preparation for the inevitable German
assault if France falls? In the book's second half, entitled "Alone," Churchill
discusses Great Britain's position as the last stronghold of resistance against
the German conquest. The expected events are all included in fascinating detail:
the battle for control of the skies over Britain, the bombing of London, the
diplomatic efforts to draw the United States into the war, and the spread of
the conflict into Africa and the Middle East. But we also hear of the
contingency plans, the speculations about what will happen should Britain fall
to Hitler, and how the far-flung reaches of its Empire could turn to rescue the
mother country. The behind-the-scenes deliberations, the fears expressed, and
the possibilities considered continually remind us of exactly what was at stake
and how grim the situation often seemed.

Churchill won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 due in no small part to
this awe-inspiring work. Winston S. Churchill (1874-1965) has been called by
historians "the man of the twentieth century." He was Prime Minister of Great
Britain (1940-1945). This is in epub format.

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