1939: Countdown to War - Hardcover

Overy, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670022098 ISBN 13: 9780670022090

Publisher: Viking Pr, 2010

Synopsis

A leading historian re-creates the final hours of peace in Europe.

On August 24, 1939, the world held its collective breath as Hitler and Stalin signed the now infamous nonaggression pact, signaling an imminent invasion of Poland and daring Western Europe to respond.

In this dramatic account of the final days before the outbreak of World War II, award-winning historian Richard Overy vividly chronicles the unraveling of peace, hour by grim hour, as politicians and ordinary citizens brace themselves for a war that could spell the end of European civilization. Nothing was entirely predictable or inevitable. The West hoped that Hitler would see sense if they stood firm. Hitler was convinced the West would back down. Moments of uncertainty alternated with those of confrontation; secret intelligence was used by both sides to support their hopes. The one constant feature was the determination of Poland, a country created only in 1919, to protect its newfound independence against a vastly superior enemy. 1939 documents a defining moment in the violent history of the twentieth century.

About this title

Review:

Overy is one of the great historians of the second world war (Bryan Appleyard Sunday Times)

This country's most distinguished historian of the Second World War ... Overy's book is easily the best account of Europe's descent into the death and destruction that were Hitler's element (Michael Burleigh Evening Standard)

Nail-biting ... with rare narrative verve, he documents the ultimatums, emissaries, letters and increasingly desperate proposals that shuttled across Europe in the countdown to war (Ian Thomson Independent)

Even those who think they know it all about how war broke out will learn something from Richard
Overy's book

(Simon Heffer Literary Review)

One of the great historians of this conflict (Simon Garfield Observer)

From the Back Cover:

24 August 1939: The fate of the world is hanging in the balance. Hitler has ambitions to invade Poland and hopes Stalin will now help him. The West must try to stop him. If they don't, world war will result.


In this dramatic account Richard Overy re-creates hour-by-hour the last days of peace in 1939, as politicians and the public braced themselves for a war they feared might spell the end of European civilization.

Nothing was predictable or inevitable. The West hoped that Hitler would see sense if they stood firm. Hitler was convinced the West would back down. The one constant feature was the determination of Poland to fight against the armed might of Germany.

Countdown to War brings to life a defining moment in the history of the twentieth century.

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking Pr
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0670022098
• ISBN 13: 9780670022090
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 158