Five Days in London May 1940. - Review - book review

Contemporary Review, July, 2000

Five Days in London May 1940. John Lukacs. Yale University Press. [pound]12.95. 236 pages. ISBN 0-300-08030-1. The dying days of the twentieth century saw a plethora of books on the Second World War. The one thing most people mention when they think of the twentieth century is war and as the Great War fades from the memory, the Second World War takes its place.

Among the many new titles this is one of the most fascinating. The author has written widely on history and here concentrates on the five days from 24 to 28 May 1940 when the War Cabinet, led by Churchill, debated whether or not to continue the struggle against Germany. The collapse of France meant that Britian and her Empire now stood alone. The story here unfolds like a drama and we follow events and personalities from hour to hour. The author reminds us that the Cabinet did not exist in a vacuum and frequently shows how important, indeed, vital, was public opinion. He also shows how difficult was Churchill's position as primus inter pares and no mo re, especially with Lord Halifax. Prof Lukacs uses his previously gained knowledge of Hitler and his war aims at the same period to give us a menacing background against which this drama is unfolded. Few history books will hold the attention as well as this one.