Reviews for 19 Weeks: America, Britain, and the Fateful Summer of 1940

The average rating for 19 Weeks: America, Britain, and the Fateful Summer of 1940 based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-01-18 00:00:00 Cameron Johnson Although there might not be any particularly new information contained in this book for the WWII history buff, the author has presented it in such a readable manner that it is like learning all over again. The book, as indicated by the title, covers one of the most important periods of what was soon to be WWII - a time when Britain was standing alone and begging the US to either enter the war or at least provide matérial to assist in stopping Hitler's war machine. The Nazis were turning their eyes to the the shores of the island nation and things did not look favorable. Hitler wanted to "negotiate" a peace with Britain once Churchill became PM but Churchill wasn't having any of it (even though he very briefly considered it). The story begins with the appeasement at Munich and the political demise of Chamberlain through the end of the Blitz and Hitler's decision to call off Operation Sea Lion and attack Russia instead. The author describes the machinations of the governments of both Britain and America during these 19 weeks. It was a fascinating time when the British Empire hung in the balance and the US was hesitant to get involved. The author wraps it all up with a short chapter on what might have happened if Britain had negotiated or fallen and Germany had been victorious. He provides sensible arguments regarding how the world might have looked based on the fact that the democratic idea would be in retreat and democracy would have failed to stand up to the military challenge of a disciplined, totalitarian society. His source material is excellent and I would recommend this book to fans of WWII history.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-04-19 00:00:00 Anthony Markowski I have read countless histories of the Second World War over the years, it is always a joy to come across one that adds new information to what's left of my memory. This book covers the period from just before the fall of France to the end of the battle of Britain. It includes well researched details of the diplomatic and political maneuvering of Churchill and particularly, Roosevelt. Roosevelt strongly felt that the continued security of the USA was tightly bound to the survival of Britain and her fleet. He had to thread the needle of aiding Britain without violating the US's neutrality acts and galvanizing the isolationist opposition. This is a well written book that I highly recommend.