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Appeasing Hitler
- Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War
- Narrated by: John Sessions
- Length: 22 hrs and 4 mins
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Appeasing Hitler
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Summary
Random House presents the audiobook edition of Appeasing Hitler by Tim Bouverie, read by John Sessions.
On a wet afternoon in September 1938, Neville Chamberlain stepped off an aeroplane and announced that his visit to Hitler had averted the greatest crisis in recent memory. It was, he later assured the crowd in Downing Street, ‘peace for our time’. Less than a year later, Germany invaded Poland and the Second World War began.
Appeasing Hitler is a compelling new narrative history of the disastrous years of indecision, failed diplomacy and parliamentary infighting that enabled Nazi domination of Europe. Beginning with the advent of Hitler in 1933, it sweeps from the early days of the Third Reich to the beaches of Dunkirk. Bouverie takes us into the backrooms of 10 Downing Street and Parliament, where a small group of rebellious MPs, including the indomitable Winston Churchill, were among the few to realise that the only choice was between ‘war now or war later’. And we enter the drawing rooms and dining clubs of fading imperial Britain, where Hitler enjoyed surprising support among the ruling class and even some members of the Royal Family.
Drawing on deep archival research, including previously unseen sources, this is an unforgettable portrait of the ministers, aristocrats and amateur diplomats who, through their actions and inaction, shaped their country's policy and determined the fate of Europe.
Both sweeping and intimate, Appeasing Hitler is not only eye-opening history but a timeless lesson on the challenges of standing up to aggression and authoritarianism – and the calamity that results from failing to do so.
Critic reviews
Appeasing Hitler is an astonishingly accomplished debut. Bouverie writes with a wonderful clarity and we will no doubt hear a lot more of his voice in future (Antony Beevor)
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What listeners say about Appeasing Hitler
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- P J Smith
- 03-06-19
Fantastic Insight
As someone who hated history at school but has become fascinated in mid-life, I do not have a great depth of knowledge of pre-WWII European politics and diplomacy. Therefore I found this book extremely enlightening. More than that though, the narrative is compelling due to its focus on 'behind-the-scenes' sources, e.g. private letters, diaries, internal memos, overheard conversations.
Superbly written and easily followed, with all information flowing chronologically rather than flitting back and forth. I looked forward to and loved every second of it!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 20-07-23
Enjoyable insight into the 1930s
This is a balanced analysis of the 1930s, avoiding the polemics often associated with this period. John Sessions provides a wonderfully flamboyant narration which brings the characters to life. This book was recommended by Sir John Major on The Rest is Politics Leading podcast and it certainly did not disappoint.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jason
- 26-05-19
Informative and well researched
An informative, exhaustive and well researched book. The narration seems a little jerky and rushed at times but overall is polished and expressive. The text itself cannot be faulted and is well worth a listen to anyone who is interested in the history, motives behind and consequences of appeasement
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Caroline
- 11-10-20
Worth overcoming the issues with Sessions!
I found this to be a really interesting book, and learned a lot. It is true that there is some oddness with Sessions's reading, however not enough to stop listening. The book is worth it. I found that upping the speed fractionally compensated, and towards the end of the book, those acting skills were appropriate in my view. Sessions is a good reader, and I understand some other reviewers' concerns, but work through it. I further found some of the material to have an added poignancy during current restrictions. I'll leave to others to work out why. It's about time people started thinking, and I guess that's one of the points of this very good book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- St Comgall
- 12-05-19
Ruined by poor narration
This is an excellent study of British foreign policy in the 1930s. I have been looking forward to its release for some time but am enormously disappointed by the final product. Audible have, once again, chosen a entirely inappropriate narrator. He reads in an overly dramatic fashion, with unusual emphasis and ponderous pace. I had to play the audiobook at x1.15 speed. Worse still, the narrator adopts some highly unusual and distracting pronunciations. For example, Mussolini becomes 'Myou-solini (who has ever pronounced his name this way??) and de jure become 'du jour'. I could go on, but you get the idea. My advice - buy the book and forget about the audiobook.
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13 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- james stewart orr
- 07-07-19
Fantastic
Learned so much that I wasn’t aware of. Excellent book. Found the last chapter particularly interesting
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- I T.
- 01-04-21
Fascinating
A truly great account of a dramatic period in our national history, superbly narrated.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jim Barrett
- 02-09-19
Let Down by the Narration
A very good book let down by the distracting narration. At times it felt as if the narrator hadn't pre-read the text, and you can almost tell where the page changes, with te emphasis mis-placed mid sentence. Once I'd got my ear atuned to it I enjoyed the book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs diana jane carroll
- 05-05-19
A Different Angle
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'm an avid listener of WW2 books and podcasts I found this a fascinating insight in to the policy of appeasement, it's intentions, it's short comings, it's architects and it's critics. The Policy Of Appeasement is often mentioned in it's relation to WW2 and this was an entertaining listen that filled in a lot of gaps for me. If you like Churchill as a subject this will interest you too.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- H. W. W. Kirby
- 12-12-19
In The Running for My Book of the Year
I love reading about political history and the Second World War and this didn't disappoint.
I learnt new things and my opinion of Harold Macmillan increased a bit.
Additionally, it's the 12th December and this is the best narrated book I've heard this year - even better than Stephen Fry reading "A Bear Called Paddington"!
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