In late May of 1940, the Nazis had just conquered most of Western Europe. France, Britain’s sole ally, was also about to fall. Moreover, the 250,000 man core of Britain’s professional army was stranded at Dunkirk in France and it appeared could not be evacuated. In the face of all this, Winston Churchill, who had been Britain’s Prime Minister for just two weeks, was adamant that Britain would continue to fight on and would not enter into peace negotiations with Hitler. Everyone believed that Britain would be subjected to a horrendous bombing campaign followed by a Nazi invasion and subsequent occupation. Many thought that Churchill’s refusal to negotiate a peace treaty to prevent this was insane and suicidal.

Of the thousands of books about Churchill none have really taken on the task of trying to answer the question — why Churchill chose to fight World War II alone rather than negotiate a peace treaty with Germany in 1940. No Peace with Hitler does. It sets out the events, both in Churchill’s life and in world politics, that led up to and affected his decision; the details of how the British War Cabinet came to agree with Churchill’s position; and the things that Churchill was weighing in making his decision and the psychological factors which affected that decision. It is also the first “history book” about Churchill written with the assistance of a psychiatrist, Mark S. Schultz, M.D. Clinical Associate Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Vermont. 

In addition to examining Churchill’s decision from many perspectives, the book also sheds light on a number of lesser known things in Churchill’s life and career as well as key events leading up to (and resulting from) the decision not to negotiate. These include:

• How Churchill survived his upbringing and how it affected him in making his decision,

• The role that Neville Chamberlain played in Britain’s choosing not to negotiate a peace agreement with Hitler
  and how that role came about,

• What things could have been done to avoid WWII and the Holocaust,

• The poor judgments that Churchill made throughout the course of his career,

• Hitler’s reluctance to invade Britain,

• How the greatly undermanned Royal Air Force defeated the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain,

• How Churchill tried to guilt and scare Franklin Roosevelt into helping Britain stave off Germany,

• Whether Britain misled Poland about the level of assistance she would provide if Germany attacked,

• The numerous efforts to depose or assassinate Hitler,

• The disastrous Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 and its lasting effects on Churchill,

• Churchill’s fascinating role in settling the crisis over Ireland in 1921,

• How Chamberlain sold out Czechoslovakia at Munich,

• Why the Nazis halted their drive just outside Dunkirk (something which allowed the British Army to be rescued), and

• Churchill’s efforts as a major social reformer.

No Peace with Hitler will appeal both to readers well versed in Churchill lore as well as those with little
knowledge of this most unique man.

To read excerpts from the book just click on the Read Excerpt button below.