Overview

An “enthralling and authoritative” (The Wall Street Journal) political history of World War II that opens a window onto the difficulties of holding together the coalition that ultimately defeated Hitler—by the acclaimed author of Appeasement “A fine reassessment of Allied politics and diplomacy during the Second World War: impeccably researched, elegantly written and compellingly argued.”—The Times (UK) AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR After the fall of France in June 1940, all that stood between Adolf Hitler and total victory was a narrow stretch of water and the defiance of the British people. Desperate for allies, Winston Churchill did everything he could to bring the United States into the conflict, drive the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany apart, and persuade neutral countries to resist German domination. By early 1942, after the German invasion of Russia and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the British-Soviet-American alliance was in place. Yet it was an improbable and incongruous coalition, divided by ideology and politics and riven with mistrust and deceit. Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin were partners in the fight to defeat Hitler, but they were also rivals who disagreed on strategy, imperialism, and the future of liberated Europe. Only by looking at their areas of conflict, as well as cooperation, are we able to understand the course of the war and world that developed in its aftermath. Allies at War is a fast-paced, narrative history, based on material drawn from more than a hundred archives. Using vivid, firsthand accounts and unpublished diaries, Bouverie invites readers into the rooms where the critical decisions were made and goes beyond the confines of the Grand Alliance to examine, among other topics, the doomed Anglo-French partnership and fractious relations with General Charles de Gaulle and the Free French, and interactions with Poland, Greece, Francoist Spain and neutral Ireland, Yugoslavia, and Nationalist China. Ambitious and compelling, revealing the political drama behind the military events, Allies at War offers a fresh perspective on the Second World War and the origins of the Cold War.

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9780593138366

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Reviews

“Tim Bouverie has done a remarkable thing: He has found a novel and illuminating way to tell the story of World War II, and in so doing he has given us an important and timely study of the centrality and the complexity of alliances. This is a terrific book.”—Jon Meacham “In Allies at War, Tim Bouverie fully lives up to the dazzling reputation he won with Appeasing Hitler. Again, he combines depth of research shrewdness of judgement and lightness of touch. The result is an absorbing read as well as a major work of history, illuminating the drama and complexity of modern history’s greatest and yet most troubled alliance.”—Robert Tombs, author of The Sovereign Isle “A sweeping, fast-paced narrative of one of the great turning points of the 20th century. Deeply researched yet highly readable.”—David Reynolds, author of Mirrors of Greatness “A grand sweep of history—a brilliant narrative.”—Antony Beevor, author of Russia “This is an astonishing piece of scholarship and one that could not be more timely. Compellingly told, immensely wide-ranging and utterly fascinating, Allies at War brilliantly and perceptively tells the incredibly complex relationship of the Allies and coalition nations that led to victory in 1945 but ultimately to the start of a new global rivalry still being felt to this day. Superb.”—James Holland, author of Cassino ‘44 “Allies at War cements Tim Bouverie's reputation as one of the most talented young historians we have. Magisterial in scope, shrewd in its judgements, well-written and often amusing, Allies at War is the best book I have ever read about the politics of the Second World War. It is a book I wish I had written.”—Tim Shipman, author of No Way Out “Excellent. Extremely well-researched, wide-ranging and absorbing.”—Halik Kochanski, author of Resistance “Tim Bouverie has an uncanny ability to dive deeper than most into the swirling currents of history . . . He reveals the insecurities, self-deceptions and tangled lies that were part of the Allied cause, alongside the personal dramas and extraordinary courage of its three great leaders. This is the story of a war of wills—it is magnificent!”—Michael Dobbs, author of Winston’s War “There is so much that is new in this compelling and fluently crafted story. The extent of Tim Bouverie’s original research is extraordinary and allows him to take the reader into the most intriguing and little-known corners of the world at war.”—Barney White-Spunner, author of Berlin “A brilliant book that shows how an imperfect alliance of resistance was the only reason Hitler and his associates did not win World War II. Essential reading for understanding the history of the past century, with significant implications for our own times.”—OA Westad, Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs, Yale University “Sweeping in scope and expertly crafted, Bouverie delivers a grand contribution to a titanic subject.”—Catherine Katz, author of The Daughters of Yalta

“Allies at War [is] a deeply researched and gracefully written account . . . enthralling and authoritative.”—The Wall Street Journal “[S]plendid . . . One of the many virtues of this insightful book is how it demonstrates the complexity of wartime diplomacy among the ‘Big Three.’”—Foreign Affairs “A masterful new diplomatic history of the war . . . packed with fresh detail and gossipy anecdotes.”—The Economist “A new star is born. . . . Allies at War, proves that his debut was no flash in the pan. [This book is] powerful and well-researched.”—The Independent “[A] revelatory study . . . which provides new perspectives on subjects that seemed familiar. . . . Allies at War fully confirms the promise shown by its predecessor.”—The Guardian “[Bouverie] has produced an ambitiously all-encompassing study of the diplomatic relations between the [Allies] during the Second World War.”—The Telegraph “Bouverie has produced a fine reassessment of Allied politics and diplomacy during the Second World War: impeccably researched, elegantly written and compellingly argued.”—The Times (UK) “[A] brilliant account of a vast conflict: one that asks the reader to constantly reevaluate long-held views. [Allies at War] sparkles thanks to Bouverie’s gifts for the deft quotation and the charming detail.”—The Washington Free Beacon “As with his first book, the quality of the research is obvious. But, above all, Bouverie is an excellent writer, with a very fluent style that makes Allies at War a joy to read.”—The Past “Well-written and wide-ranging . . . a tour de force of thick description, infinite anecdotes and clear-sighted analysis.”—Omer Bartov, Times Literary Supplement “Here we have one of the finest, most judicious, and authoritative takes on the Allied relationship . . . Bouverie’s writes crisply with rich with vignettes.”—International Churchill Society, Finest Hour Magazine “This is a compelling and highly readable book . . . a masterpiece.”—Richard J. Evans, The New Statesman “Magisterial, eminently readable, and surprisingly fast-moving.”—Wendell Jamieson, Air Mail “This well-researched narrative uses firsthand accounts and unpublished diaries to explore the politics and diplomacy, the human drama behind the military events.”—WWII History Mmagazine “Terrific . . . Bouverie is a historian with an exceptional command of his subject, and there is much to learn from this book.”—The Daily Mail “Meticulous, scholarly and highly enjoyable.”—The Spectator “Tim Bouverie has done a remarkable thing: He has found a novel and illuminating way to tell the story of World War II, and in so doing he has given us an important and timely study of the centrality and the complexity of alliances.”—Jon Meacham “An absorbing read as well as a major work of history, illuminating the drama and complexity of modern history’s greatest and yet most troubled alliance.”—Robert Tombs, author of The Sovereign Isle “A sweeping, fast-paced narrative of one of the great turning points of the 20th century. Deeply researched yet highly readable.”—David Reynolds, author of Mirrors of Greatness “A grand sweep of history—a brilliant narrative.”—Antony Beevor, author of Russia “This is an astonishing piece of scholarship and one that could not be more timely. . . . Superb.”—James Holland, author of Cassino ‘44 “Magisterial in scope, shrewd in its judgements, well-written and often amusing, Allies at War is the best book I have ever read about the politics of the Second World War.”—Tim Shipman, author of No Way Out “Excellent. Extremely well-researched, wide-ranging and absorbing.”—Halik Kochanski, author of Resistance

Author Information

Tim Bouverie is the critically acclaimed author of Appeasement, which was a New York Times' editor's pick and shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. He studied history at Christ Church, Oxford and was the Alistair Horne Fellow at St. Anthony's College, Oxford. He lives in London.

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