ISBN: 9781101974698
Editorial: Vintage
Autor: Allport, Alan
Año de edición: 2021
N° Paginas: 640
Tipo de pasta: Pasta blanda
Descripción: From statesmen and military commanders to ordinary Britons, a bold, sweeping history of Britain's entrance into World War II—and its efforts to survive it—illuminating the ways in which the war permanently transformed a nation and its people “Might be the single best examination of British politics, society and strategy in these four years that has ever been written.” —The Wall Street JournalHere is the many-faceted, world-historically significant story of Britain at war. In looking closely at the military and political dimensions of the conflict’s first crucial years, Alan Allport tackles pressing questions such as whether the war could have been avoided, how it could have been lost, how well the British lived up to their own values, and ultimately, what difference the war made to the fate of the nation. In answering these questions, he reexamines our assumptions and paints a vivid portrait of the ways in which the Second World War transformed British culture and society. This bracing account draws on a lively cast of characters—from the political and military leaders who made the decisions, to the ordinary citizens who lived through them—in a comprehensible and compelling single history of forty-six million people. A sweeping and groundbreaking epic, Britain at Bay gives us a fresh look at the opening years of the war, and illuminates the integral moments that, for better or for worse, made Britain what it is today. Review Winner of the Historical Writers’ Association Non-fiction Crown Award“The book's foundations are rock-solid and massive. . . . [It is] much more than a fine narrative account of great personalities and surface actions, of the history of events. It reaches to deeper levels—of geography and grand strategy, and wartime logistics, of shipping logistics and troop deployments. . . . Moreover, he does all this with a rare verbal fluency, often with irony, sometimes tongue-in-cheek. . . . Britain at Bay is beautifully written, thoroughly researched and cleverly presented. . . . I put my copy down with deep satisfaction. History writing, and historical scholarship, sometimes seems as fine as ever it was.” —Paul Kennedy, The Wall Street Journal“Unusually informative and stimulating. . . . Quite a few received ideas are deftly skewered. . . . Valuable." —Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The New York Times Book Review“[Allport] moves with ease, wit and insight between the high political and diplomatic, the social and economic, the strategic and military, with biographical vignettes and anecdotes illustrating the lived experience of ordinary people. That it is an epic story there is no doubt. But the twist is that it is a tale of national decline on an epic scale.” —The Times Literary Supplement“Expertly researched and marvelously written, this sterling history casts an oft-studied subject in a new light.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred review) “Allport’s provocative view will intrigue American readers. . . . These are familiar events, but Allport’s interpretation is superb.” —Kirkus Reviews (Starred review)“Britain at Bay is a welcome and highly readable retelling of the story of Britain’s entry into the Second World War and its initial survival against great odds. Weaving together grand strategy, high politics and the complexities of British society at the time, Alan Allport deftly demolishes some sacred cows along the way and makes the reader think again about the choices and the odds facing Britain.” —Margaret MacMillan, author of Paris 1919 “Original, compelling, timely. This is a history that reminds us of the Britain behind the myth of its Second World War. It’s a history that many will want to argue with. And that everyone should read.” —Lucy Noakes, Rab Butler Professor of Modern History, University of Essex “Written with style and verve, Britain at Bay will make you think anew not just about the war, but about the Britain and the Britons that fought it. A book for anyone who want
- Idioma: Inglés
- Envío: Desde EE. UU.
- Libro Impreso y Nuevo
