The Second World War: Alone

Written by Winston Churchill, this account covers the Second World War from the years that led to it through to its aftermath. The author, who led Britain for much of the conflict, begins with the rise of Adolf Hitler and the failed policy of appeasement that preceded it. He then recounts the country's lonely resistance against the Axis powers, the alliances later formed with the United States and the Soviet Union, and the campaign that culminated in D-Day and the liberation of Western Europe. The narrative closes with the onset of the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear weapons reshaped the postwar world. Written from the vantage point of a man who sat at the centre of power, the book blends personal recollection with a broad survey of events.