
Few Decades Have Given Rise To Such Potent Mythologies As The 1930s. Popular Impressions Of Those Years Prior To The Second World War Were Shaped By The Single Outstanding Personality Of That Conflict, Winston Spencer Churchill. Churchill Depicted Himself As A Political Prophet, Exiled Into The Wilderness Prior To 1939 By Those Who Did Not Want To Hear Of The Growing Threats To Peace In Europe. Although It Is A Familiar Story, It Is One We Need To Unlearn As The Truth Is Somewhat Murkier. The End Is Nigh Is A Tale Of Relentless Intrigue, Burning Ambition, And The Bitter Rivalry In British Politics During The Years Preceding The Second World War. Journeying From The Corridors Of Whitehall To The Smoking Rooms Of Parliament, And From Aircraft Factories To Summit Meetings With Hitler, The Book Offers A Fresh And Provocative Interpretation Of One Of The Most Crucial Moments Of British History. It Assembles A Cast Of Iconic Characters—churchill, Neville Chamberlain, Stanley Baldwin, Clement Attlee, Anthony Eden, Ernest Bevin, And More—to Explore The Dangerous Interaction Between High Politics At Westminster And The Formulation Of National Strategy In A World Primed To Explode. In The Twenty-first Century We Are Accustomed To Being Cynical About Politicians, Mistrusting What They Say And Wondering About Their Real Motives, But Robert Crowcroft Argues That This Was Always The Character Of Democratic Politics. In The End Is Nigh He Challenges Some Of The Most Resilient Public Myths Of Recent Decades—myths That, Even Now, Remain An Important Component Of Britain's Self-image.
This work investigates the accuracy of the prevailing Churchillian myth regarding the lead-up to the Second World War and the nature of British political decision-making during the 1930s. Robert Crowcroft, a historian specializing in modern British politics, utilizes archival records and contemporary political analysis to challenge the narrative of Churchill as a lone prophet in the wilderness. He argues that the interwar period was defined by complex, often cynical, power struggles and strategic maneuvering among a wider cast of political actors than traditional historiography typically acknowledges.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Historians and political analysts frequently note the book's success in dismantling long-standing myths surrounding the pre-war British establishment. Experts highlight this as a significant contribution to the study of democratic political behavior and the realities of interwar governance.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
2019-01-01
ISBN-10:
0192556851
ISBN-13:
9780192556851
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