1939 A People's History of the Coming of the Second World War

<p>In the autumn of 1938, Europe believed in the promise of peace. But only a year later, the fateful decisions of just a few men had again led Europe to a massive world war. Drawing on contemporary diaries, memoirs, and newspapers, as well as recorded interviews, <em>1939</em> is a narrative account of what the coming of the Second World War felt like to those who lived through it.</p><p>Frederick Taylor, author of renowned histories of the Berlin Wall and the bombing of Dresden, highlights the day-to-day experiences of ordinary citizens as well as those who were at the height of power in Germany and Britain. Their voices lend an intimate flavor to this often-surprising account of the period and reveal a marked disconnect between government and people, for few people in either country wanted war.</p><p><em>1939</em> is a vivid and richly peopled narrative of Europe’s slide into the horrors of war and a powerful warning for our own time.</p>