Fear and Hope: How Churchill Saved Britain from Catastrophe

In 1940, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium, Poland and Czechoslovakia fell, and only two weeks remained before the evacuation of troops from the coast of France. The residents of London and its surroundings awaited the invasion of German forces by sea and air day after day, while ahead lay the Battle of Britain — a grueling confrontation with the Luftwaffe. In this difficult time for the country, Winston Churchill took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to demonstrate to the whole world what true political leadership is. In his book, Erik Larson describes the everyday life of Churchill, his family, and ordinary citizens during the darkest year in 20th century London, based on diaries, archival documents, and declassified intelligence reports, some of which have only recently become available to historians. “Fear and Hope” is a captivating tale of how the eloquence and determination of a great statesman united the nation in the face of relentless terror.