"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

"With a delightful British accent and a professional quality voice, Howardcommunicates the tension during those fateful days."AudioFile

"[This book] is lucid and splendidly readable, and furthermore, commands a host of dramatic characters has the power and sweep of Shakespeare's chronicle plays."Boston Globe

In the days between May 24-28, 1940, the British War Cabinet held a historical debate over whether to negotiate with Hitler or to continue the war. In this magisterial new 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.