The Sunday Debate: Neville Chamberlain Did The Right Thing

This final volume in Richard J. Evans’s trilogy on the history of Nazi Germany chronicles the major events of World War II from the Nazi perspective. It interweaves a broad narrative of the war’s progress with personal testimony from a wide range of people, including generals, front-line soldiers, Hitler Youth activists, and middle-class housewives. The book details the daily experience of ordinary Germans in wartime, the mass bombing of Germany’s towns and cities, and the Nazi extermination of Europe’s Jews within the context of Hitler’s genocidal plans. Evans provides a detailed account of key battles, such as the Battle of Stalingrad, and Hitler’s eventual suicide, offering a masterful historical narrative that serves as a warning for the future as much as a judgment on the past.

In 'Chamberlain and the Lost Peace', John Charmley presents a revisionist view of Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement towards Hitler. Charmley argues that Chamberlain's actions were not naive or weak but rather a thoughtful attempt to avoid war and protect Britain's interests, foreseeing the long-term damage war would cause. The book challenges the traditional narrative by highlighting Chamberlain's strategic thinking and the limitations of Britain's military capabilities at the time.