Adam Sisman
Phoney Peace
Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War
By Tim Bouverie
The Bodley Head 497pp £20
Could the Second World War have been prevented? In the 1930s the stability of Europe was endangered by rapacious dictators, while Japan threatened Western interests in the Far East. The United States had withdrawn from international affairs and the Soviet Union was thought to be untrustworthy, so it was left to Britain and France to restrain the insurgents through conciliation and concession. Belatedly, after several retreats, Britain and France committed themselves to defending Poland, though they did so reluctantly and were in no position to offer much practical assistance. Only months after war broke out, France collapsed, as much as a result of internal weakness as external assault. Thereafter Britain stood alone. At the last possible moment, with a new leader, Britain found the resilience to defy Hitler.
In hindsight, it appeared that the policy of appeasement had been doomed from the start. Hitler had always planned a war and Mussolini would follow on his coat-tails. Truckling to their demands only encouraged their aggression. The road to war was clear, the motives of the dictators obvious.
Sign Up to our newsletter
Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.@Lit_Review
Follow Literary Review on Twitter
Twitter Feed
Knowledge of Sufism increased markedly with the publication in 1964 of The Sufis, by Idries Shah. Nowadays his writings, much like his father’s, are dismissed for their Orientalism and inaccuracy.
@fitzmorrissey investigates who the Shahs really were.
Fitzroy Morrissey - Sufism Goes West
Fitzroy Morrissey: Sufism Goes West - Empire’s Son, Empire’s Orphan: The Fantastical Lives of Ikbal and Idries Shah by Nile Green
literaryreview.co.uk
Rats have plagued cities for centuries. But in Baltimore, researchers alighted on one surprising solution to the problem of rat infestation: more rats.
@WillWiles looks at what lessons can be learned from rat ecosystems – for both rats and humans.
Will Wiles - Puss Gets the Boot
Will Wiles: Puss Gets the Boot - Rat City: Overcrowding and Urban Derangement in the Rodent Universes of John B ...
literaryreview.co.uk
Twisters features destructive tempests and blockbuster action sequences.
@JonathanRomney asks what the real danger is in Lee Isaac Chung's disaster movie.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/eyes-of-the-storm