Description

The Road to 1945 is a rigorously researched study of the crucial moment when political parties put aside their differences to unite under Churchill and focus on the task of war. But the war years witnessed a radical shift in political power – dramatically expressed in Labour’s decisive electoral victory in 1945.

In his acclaimed study, Paul Addison reconstructs and interprets the five-year wartime coalition, and traces this sea-change from its roots in the thirties, to the powerful spirit of post-war rebuilding.

The Road to 1945 is an imaginative, brilliantly written and landmark work, underpinned by a powerful and expertly researched argument.

Publisher Review

'The best and most comprehensive account of British politics immediately before, during, and immediately after the Second World War * Guardian * What I find most striking is the beauty of his prose, the force of his argument, and the awesome and painstaking research that underpins it. Although I still do not agree with him, it is one hell of an achievement, and one that has not been matched since -- Harriet Jones * Times Education Supplement * This is a landmark in the writing of contemporary history and deserves wide acclaim * Times Literary Supplement * Many books have been written about the Home Front. Few have dealt with the development of policies at the top. Addison's book fills the gap magnificently. It tells with wit, scholarship and imagination how the British people entered the Promised Land - or seemed to -- A.J.P. Taylor * Observer * This is a brilliant book. It is probably the most intelligent monograph on a recent period of British politics -- John Vincet * New Society *