Description

A Sunday Times bestselling landmark history of the alliance that won the war and made the peace from the author of Appeasing Hitler

‘An astonishing achievement. Compellingly told, immensely wide-ranging and utterly fascinating’JAMES HOLLAND

‘The best book I have ever read about the politics of the Second World War’ TIM SHIPMAN

After the fall of France in June 1940, only Britain stood between Hitler and total victory. 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 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, Roosevelt and Stalin were partners in the fight to defeat Hitler, yet they were also rivals who disagreed on strategy, imperialism and the future of liberated Europe.

Allies at War is a fast-paced, narrative history, based on material drawn from over a hundred archives. Using vivid, first-hand accounts and unpublished diaries, we enter the rooms where the critical decisions were made, revealing the political drama behind the military events.
Ambitious and compelling, Allies at War offers a fresh perspective on the Second World War and the origins of the Cold War.

‘Impeccably researched, elegantly written, and compellingly argued’ THE TIMES

‘Terrific … Bouverie is a historian with an exceptional command of his subject’ DAILY MAIL

‘A new star is born … Powerful and well researched’ INDEPENDENT

Publisher Review

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