Five Days in London, John Lukacs
Five Days in London, John Lukacs
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Five Days in London
May 1940

Author: John Lukacs

Narrator: Ralph Cosham

Unabridged: 6 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/22/2005

Synopsis

In the days between May 24 and 28, 1940, the British War Cabinet held a historic debate over whether to negotiate with Hitler or to continue the war. In this magisterial book, John Lukacs demonstrates the decisive importance of these five days.Lukacs takes us hour by hour into the critical unfolding of events at 10 Downing Street, where Churchill, who had only been prime minister a fortnight, painfully considered his war responsibilities. We see how the military disasters taking place on the Continent, particularly the plight of the nearly 400,000 British soldiers bottled up in Dunkirk, affected Churchill's fragile political situation and how the citizenry, though only partly informed about the dangers that faced them, nevertheless began to support Churchill's determination to stand fast.

About John Lukacs

John Lukacs was professor of history at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, until his retirement and has been visiting professor at many universities. He is the author of twenty-one books, among them The Hitler of History, The Duel, The End of the Twentieth Century and the End of the Modern Age (which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize), and A Thread of Years. He is the recipient of numerous academic honors and awards.

About Ralph Cosham

Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) (1936–2014) was a British journalist who changed careers to become a narrator and screen and stage actor. He performed in more than one hundred professional theatrical roles. His audiobook narrations were named “Audio Best of the Year” by Publishers Weekly, and he won seven AudioFile Earphones Awards, and in 2013 he won the coveted Audie Award for Best Mystery Narration for his reading of Louise Penny’s The Beautiful Mystery.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Blaine on August 04, 2021

Wow! What a remarkable book that takes a true "inside" look at Churchill and his War Cabinet during the most crucial days of WW2. This is part of a group of books the author has written which examine WW2 and Churchill and despite its short length it provides so much insight as to how Churchill was a......more

Goodreads review by Kuszma on September 19, 2021

Lukacs A párviadal c. könyvére azt találtam írni, hogy "elképesztő mélységű elemzés" Churchill és Hitler 1940-es összefeszüléséről. De akkor most erre a kötetre mit mondjak? Hogy egy tudományos Mariana-árok? Hm. Ez mondjuk így elég félreérthető lenne. Akárhogy is, Lukacs prof az esemény 50 éves jubil......more

Goodreads review by John on January 26, 2014

A poorly organised and written history, that only retains two stars because the story - the five days during which Churchill's war cabinet debated whether to negotiate with Hitler - is inherently fascinating. This made my frustration with Lukacs' rendering of his material all the greater. There are m......more

Goodreads review by William on July 22, 2017

Picked this up after seeing "Dunkirk." Lukacs' case is that Churchill understood intuitively at the fall of France that Hitler could not be negotiated with, and that capitulation would have ultimately meant the end of Western Civilization. Though I've read that elsewhere, Lukacs gives a picture of m......more

Goodreads review by Book Concierge on February 21, 2022

3.5*** Historian John Lukacs has written over twenty books, several dealing with World War II. In this book he focuses specifically on Winston Churchill and the five days from May 24 to May 28, 1940. Churchill did not win the war in those five days, but his actions and leadership ensured that Englan......more

Quotes

“This gem of a book, the distillation of an important historian’s life work, is a compelling antidote for those afflicted with historical amnesia.” Washington Post

“A fascinating work of historical reconstruction…[Lukacs] gives us much to ponder in this intriguing—and perhaps still controversial—story.” Wall Street Journal

“Lucid and splendidly readable…commands a host of dramatic characters…has the power and sweep of Shakespeare’s chronicle plays.” Boston Globe

“Eminent historian Lukacs delivers the crown jewel to his long and distinguished career with this account…It is the work of a man who lives and breathes history, whose knowledge is limitless and tuned to a pitch that rings true.” Publishers Weekly

“Superb…can be compared to such classics as Trevor-Roper’s The Last Days of Hitler and Tuchman’s The Guns of August.” Harper’s Magazine

“A marvelous example of the complex behind-the-scenes diplomatic wrangling involved in seeking a national advantage in the deadly game of strategic move and countermove. Recommended.” Library Journal

“With a delightful British accent and a professional quality voice, Howard…communicates the tension during those fateful days.” AudioFile

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