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Summary
Summary
In May 1940, with France on the verge of defeat, Britain alone stood in the path of the Nazi military juggernaut. Survival seemed to hinge on the leadership of Winston Churchill, whom the King reluctantly appointed Prime Minister as Germany invaded France. Churchill's reputation as one of the great twentieth-century leaders would be forged during the coming months and years, as he worked tirelessly first to rally his country and then to defeat Hitler. But Churchill -- regarded as the savior of his nation, and of the entire continent -- could not have done it alone.
As prize-winning historian Jonathan Schneer reveals in Ministers at War , Churchill depended on a team of powerful ministers to manage the war effort as he rallied a beleaguered nation. Selecting men from across the political spectrum -- from fellow Conservative Anthony Eden to leader of the opposing socialist Labor Party Clement Attlee -- Churchill assembled a War Cabinet that balanced competing interests and bolstered support for his national coalition government. The group possessed a potent blend of talent, ambition, and egotism. Led and encouraged by Churchill, the ministers largely set aside their differences, at least at first. As the war progressed, discord began to grow. It reached a peak in 1945: with victory seemingly assured, Churchill was forced by his Minsters at War to dissolve the Government and call a General Election, which, in a shocking upset, he lost to his rival Attlee.
Authoritatively recasting our understanding of British high politics during World War II, Schneer shows that Churchill managed the war effort by managing his team of supremely able yet contentious cabinet members. The outcome of the war lay not only in Churchill's individual brilliance but also in his skill as an executive, and in the collective ability of men who muted their personal interests to save the world from barbarism.
Author Notes
Jonathan Schneer is a professor of history at Georgia Tech. The author of The Balfour Declaration , which won the 2010 National Jewish Book Award, Schneer lives in Decatur, Georgia.
Reviews (3)
Kirkus Review
During World War II, Britain was guided by a group of talented, ambitious rivals who put aside their differences to defeat their common enemy. Here's a look at how they worked togetherand how it fell apart just as victory was in hand.Schneer (History/Georgia Institute of Tech.; The Balfour Declaration, 2010) shows the inner workings of Winston Churchill's cabinet during that critical period. After ousting Neville Chamberlain, whose appeasement of Hitler let the Germans gain momentum in their plans to dominate Europe, Churchill put together a coalition government. It combined fellow conservatives Anthony Eden, Lord Halifax and newspaper magnate Lord Beaverbrook with Labor Party leaders Clement Atlee, Ernest Bevin and Stafford Cripps. All saw themselves as capable of stepping into the top office, and several, even while the fight against Germany continued, made moves to seize that office. All three of the Labor ministers saw Churchill's domestic policies as weaknesses; Cripps, in addition, argued for a stronger effort to relieve the Soviet Union after Hitler's invasion. The Tories, for their part, never really trusted Churchill, and his concessions to Labor during the war did nothing to reassure them. Schneer details their maneuvers both in the cabinet meetings and in Parliament, along with their private thoughts, as revealed in letters, journals and other documents. Each of the major players is given a full turn in the spotlight as events brought him to the foreground. The result is a striking look inside the British government during a time when some of the most interesting characters of a challenging era were fighting for both the nation's salvation and their own ambitions. Churchill's role as a wartime leader is well-known from a myriad of histories, but this is one of the best recent treatments of his role as a head of government. Clear, thoroughly entertaining and full of lively detail. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Choice Review
Schneer (Georgia Tech) elucidates how Churchill succeeded Chamberlain as prime minister in May 1939 over more likely candidates and remarkably assembled and managed a war cabinet of levelheaded, experienced men who examined issues from all angles. Britain's survival depended upon national unity, and solidarity in the war cabinet was essential. Churchill understood this and shaped his team accordingly, maintaining a balance between right-wing Tories and left-wing socialists, united in a common purpose of winning the war. Only Churchill could have deftly dispatched the prewar "appeasers," charmed critics, outmaneuvered political rivals, and bombarded military chiefs with strategies and schemes while traversing the globe to consult with Stalin and FDR. But once Allied victory was assured, Churchill's indispensability waned, and his worst shortcoming was his lack of a message or program for postwar Britain. Tellingly, Churchill's greatest domestic wartime challenge occurred during a parliamentary vote on his cabinet's tepid endorsement of the Beveridge Report's recommendations of social programs and reforms. Focused on his imagined role as postwar global statesman, Churchill failed to see the domestic tide in Britain turning left, which carried him out of office in the general election of 1945. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. --Gary M. Stearns, Elizabethtown Community College
Library Journal Review
Similar to Abraham Lincoln's notable "Team of Rivals" during the Civil War, Winston Churchill-newly installed as prime minister of the UK in May 1940-surrounded himself with a group of remarkable British politicians who represented both the Conservative and the Labour parties during World War II. This team included Anthony Eden and Clement Attlee, both of whom later served as prime minister; business tycoon Lord Beaverbrook, who held a host of positions from minister of supply to Lord Privy Seal; Stafford Cripps, who was minister of aircraft production among other roles; and trade union leader Ernest Bevin, who gained additional prominence once Attlee became prime minister. Schneer, (history, Georgia Tech Univ.; The Balfour Declaration) has crafted a smoothly written and insightful examination of the men who aided Churchill during the years fraught with danger from the Nazi war machine. These strong-willed individuals sometimes intrigued against their leader but ultimately fell in line and worked with the indomitable Churchill for the good of the cause. VERDICT For most readers, this will be a book that cannot be put down until the last page is reached. An exceptional history on an extremely important topic, which should be acquired by all libraries.-Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
