The Second World War

Extract from Preface to The Gathering Storm Book I: Milestones to Disaster, 1919 - May 10, 1940 I. The Follies of the Victors, 1919-1929 II. Peace At Its Zenith, 1922-1931 III. Adolf Hitler IV. The Locust Years, 1931-1933 V. The Darkening Scene, 1934 VI. Air Parity Lost, 1934-1935 VII. Challenge and Response, 1935 VIII. Sanctions Against Italy, 1935 IX. Hitler Strikes, 1936 X. The Loaded Pause, 1936-1938 XI. Mr Eden At the Foreign Office. His Resignation XII. The Rape of Austria, February 1938 XIII. Czechoslovakia XIV. The Tragedy of Munich XV. Prague, Albania and the Polish Guarantee XVI. On the Verge XVII. Twilight War XVIII. The Admiralty Task XIX. The Front in France XX. Scandinavia. Finland XXI. Norway XXII. The Fall of the Government Book II: Alone, May 10, 1940 - June 22, 1941 I. The National Coalition II. The Battle of France III. The March to the Sea IV. The Deliverance of Dunkirk V. The Rush for the Spoils VI. Back to France VII. Home Defence and the Apparatus of Counter-Attack VIII. The French Agony IX. Admiral Darlan and the French Fleet X. At Bay XI. Operation "Sea Lion" XII. The Battle of Britain XIII. "London Can Take It" XIV. Lend-Lease XV. Desert Victory XVI. The Widening War XVII. The Battle of the Atlantic XVIII. Yugoslavia and Greece XIX. The Desert Flank. Rommel. Tobruk XX. Crete XXI. General Wavell's Final Effort XXII. The Soviet Nemesis Book III: The Grand Alliance, Sunday, December 7 1941 and Onwards I. Our Soviet Ally II. My Meeting with Roosevelt III. Persia and the Desert IV. Pearl Harbour! V. A Voyage Amid World War VI. Anglo-American Accords VII. The Fall of Singapore VIII. The U-Boat Paradise IX. American Naval Victories. The Coral Sea and Midway Island X. "Second Front Now!" XI. My Second Visit to Washington. Tobruk XII. The Vote of Censure XIII. The Eighth Army at Bay XIV. My Journey to Cairo. Changes in Command XV. Moscow: The First Meeting XVI. Moscow: A Relationship Established XVII. Strain and Suspense XVIII. The Battle of Alamein

Sir Winston S. Churchill (1874-1965) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on two occasions, from 1940-1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Celebrated as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, he was also a gifted orator, statesman and historian. The author of more than 40 books, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 and in 1963 was made an honorary citizen of the United States.