NO PEACE WITH HITLER
COMMENTS / REVIEWS
This is what preeminent Churchill historian and best-selling author Andrew Roberts has to say about NO PEACE WITH HITLER:
- It is a “well-researched, well-written, and, above all, wise book.”
- “Mr Saltman’s coverage of each hour of [the War Cabinet’s] deliberations, with the psychology and motivations of its members minutely analysed, is a fine work of psychohistory.”
- “Alan Saltman, with insight from a psychiatrist, conclusively proves that all of Churchill’s past life had also been a preparation for his refusal to negotiate peace with Hitler. …”
- “Through a profound mastery of all the most important sources, and several unexpected ones too, Mr Saltman establishes how the decision to fight on after defeat on the Continent rested largely on character traits that Churchill had been consciously and unconsciously evolving over the previous sixty-five years.”
To view Prof. Roberts complete Foreword, press here
Andrew Roberts also tweeted:
“Alan Saltman’s fine new book No Peace With Hitler (@NPH2022) is published on Monday, which I do recommend. He looks at the events of May 1940 in detail and in proper context, concluding that absent Churchill, Britain might well have made peace with Hitler, leading to catastrophe.”
Other “FIVE STAR” reviews
“When I first learned about No Peace with Hitler, I was skeptical that it would add anything to the vast number of books by and/or about Churchill. Having read most of Churchill’s works and biographies by Manchester, Jenkins and Roberts, I doubted whether any contribution could be made. I was wrong. The psycho-biography approach taken by Mr. Saltman is both interesting and innovative. (The psycho-biography genre goes back to Alexander George and his famous book Woodrow Wilson and Colonel House.) The perspective is fascinating and does contribute to the canon of Churchill books.
I found the detailed description of the behavior of the various players in the Munich debacle quite riveting. I especially enjoyed the treatment of the relationship between Churchill and Chamberlain as it changed through time. The final chapter in the book–Churchill Thereafter–raises important questions about Churchill’s character that Mr. Saltman addresses directly and candidly.
You will find this book to be time well spent.”
— James Tune
“A gem of a book.”
— Michael Schneiders
“Amazing book, do read it!”
— Jan Isoz
“ A masterpiece” “ Provides insights to not only Winston Churchill but to World War II and all the steps and missteps by the various British politicians leading up to the War.”
— Frank M. Gladics
“Great Book. “ “ Covers great detail without getting boring. Enjoyed every page.”
— Matt McVay
“Engaging, tremendously researched” “Reminds us that in every period of history, those who have the clarity to recognize that unlimited evil exists, and are determined to defeat that evil at all costs, can save the world. Read this book. It speaks to today.”
— AHG
Lee Barckmann of Reader Views gives NO PEACE WITH HITLER
“ Five Stars”
“[T]he book is a strong addition to the mountain of books written about Churchill. “
“No Peace with Hitler’ has a particular purpose – to explain in deep detail how and why Churchill came to stand not only against Hitler, but also against the policy of appeasement of his peers, his political party, the press, and the war-weary general public. It explains how he rallied Britain – and the Democratic world – to fight against Nazi/Fascism. It achieves this better than anything I have read before.”
“For me, a semi-serious history buff, it was a very interesting and worthwhile read.” For the serious history buff
“No Peace with Hitler is a gold mine.”
Literary Titan also rates NO PEACE With HITLER “ Five Stars”
“This illuminating book explores Churchill’s struggles through childhood, when he was regularly neglected by his parents, and into his teen years, when he was rebellious and bad at school. The engaging narrative follows Churchill into adulthood and his struggle to join the English political landscape and make a name for himself outside of his father’s political legacy.
“The author certainly leaves no stone unturned in No Peace with Hitler. The book is crafted with a sharp attention to detail. Since Churchill has such an important place in history, Saltman has taken it upon himself to make sure that readers understand the struggles Churchill experienced that brought him to the success and renown he received later in his life.
“…fans of history, specifically World War II buffs, will love the breadth and depth of this lovingly crafted narrative.”
Eliot Clark’s review of NO PEACE With HITLER
On 10 May 1940, Winston Churchill became Britain’s Wartime Prime Minister writing that, ‘…all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.’ It is this ‘preparation’ that Alan Saltman assesses in this well-researched and highly detailed book. Using methods of psychohistory, and a vast array of sources, Saltman seeks to unearth how Churchill’s past life had in fact prepared him to rightly refuse to negotiate peace with Adolf Hitler in the months and years ahead of him as Prime Minister.
Developing a sophisticated analysis of Churchill’s life, Saltman questions what provided Churchill with this deep understanding of war. Assessing Churchill’s early years and early career, Saltman demonstrates to the reader the stages of Churchill’s early interest in military campaigns. Churchill is depicted as a young child arranging his toy soldiers ready for battle and later entering Sandhurst as a cavalry cadet in 1893. Churchill at many stages of his life was actively involved in warfare, whether that be through actively fighting, corresponding or at times politically as he held a range of defence positions in the cabinet. Saltman argues that the lessons Churchill learnt through these roles were vital to forming his stance on Hitler and his refusal to negotiate peace. Churchill, more than many in the House of Commons, understood the course of war and what it meant for Britain, and world democracy if the allies did not fight on. Furthermore, throughout his wilderness years, Churchill had witnessed how Hitler had already broken all previous peace negotiations and was a man who could not be trusted. ‘War, more than life, was the chess game in which [Churchill] could see several moves ahead’, Saltman writes. It is evident throughout the book that Churchill possessed a much clearer understanding of Hitler’s aims than many during the 1930s but his warnings were met with criticism and he was labelled as a ‘fear monger’. His intuition and warnings proved to be right and as Saltman comments the responsibility to know the next move would soon fall upon him.
Referring back to Churchill’s early years, Saltman further demonstrates Churchill’s attitude towards bullies and how to deal with them. Churchill recognised Hitler’s unstable and erratic nature of terror and knew that the only way to deal with such a bully was to confront them. Churchill had dealt with bullying from an early age whether that be from his contemporaries at school, teachers, and even at times the bullying nature of his father. Saltman argues that by having had these ‘personal experiences’ with bullies and having the ‘wisdom to declare Hitler early on as being irredeemably treacherous’, Churchill had ‘no compunction about fighting him in a war’. Saltman further remarks that how to fight the war was complex, but for Churchill, the reason ‘why’ to fight was very clear.
Using psychoanalysis, Saltman assesses how childhood relationships impacted Churchill’s thoughts and actions in later life. One key relationship for this is Churchill’s often distant and complex relationship with his parents. It was the difficulties in this relationship which gave Churchill the longing to be a devoted and doting parent himself. Churchill hoped to present himself as an empathetic figure able to provide those around him with the same love and affection he had received at the hands of his nanny, Elizabeth Everest, whom he called ‘Woomy’. Saltman accurately writes that during the war years, Churchill also became the parent of the nation. The public looked to Churchill for guidance, courage, and hope, as he presented them with a deep and compassionate affection, something evident in Churchill’s Blitz Tours around the country. As Saltman comments, Churchill became ‘Britain’s Woomy’.
Furthermore, Saltman also provides the reader with a detailed insight into the developing relationship between Churchill and Neville Chamberlain. In the 1930s, Churchill heavily criticised Chamberlain’s policy for Appeasement in the House of Commons and argued for Britain to rearm. Saltman demonstrates that the shift in this relationship came when Britain announced war on Germany on 3 September 1939, and Chamberlain invited Churchill into the War Cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty. Saltman argues that from this point Churchill turned from an ardent critic of Chamberlain to a loyal supporter. Chamberlain later repaid Churchill for his ‘intense loyalty’ when he succeeded him as prime minister. In May 1940, Chamberlain was now seen to favour Churchill’s policy of ‘fighting on’ over peace negotiations, a policy still being pushed for by Lord Halifax, the man who Chamberlain had originally hoped would succeed him as premier. Saltman puts this change in Chamberlain’s thought process down to two factors: (1) Chamberlain acknowledged that this approach in 1938 and 1939 had not worked and he was made to look ‘the fool’, vowing it would never happen again, and (2) he did not trust Hitler to keep his word. This new friendship and loyalty with Chamberlain proved crucial for Churchill as it would provide him with further unity in the war cabinet and would face much less opposition.
Through extensive research, Saltman provides the reader with a detailed and well-analysed insight into why Churchill chose not to negotiate peace with Germany arguing that the only way to achieve real peace was to fight on, “…if necessary, for years, if necessary, alone…” With a psychoanalytical approach, Saltman assesses the personal experiences Churchill faced throughout his life which impacted his approach to finding peace and how crucial his courage was to stand alone during the nation’s hour of need.
Martin Koenigsberg gives NO PEACE WITH HITLER “ Five Stars”
“An interesting book on a really engaging topic.”
“ …the arguments [ about why Churchill did what he did} are certainly interesting and worth a listen. “
“The Military enthusiast is the real winner here- with all the key strategic points of WWII covered in exhausting detail for review.”
“ It’s a big package of WWII content with a lot of entertaining and illuminating passages. “ “[And] the reader will appreciate the breaking down of pivotal points and the cast of characters. “
Comments from other readers of NO PEACE WITH HITLER
“Loved it …couldn’t put it down. With what’s happening in Ukraine I’m glad that I read it now.”
— Jim L.
“The book is written in clear, flowing prose, with just the right amount of detail to make you feel as if you are present at the meetings of the War Cabinet, hanging on every word.”
“Even though everyone knows the ending, the book makes for a gripping and suspenseful ride.”
“There are many books about Churchill and his fateful decision to fight on, but No Peace with Hitler does a fine job of exploring all possible aspects of Churchill’s thinking. It also addresses the many opinions swirling around Churchill, providing the thoughtful reader with profound insight into the difficulty of his momentous decision.”
“Readers of all stripes will enjoy – and learn from – No Peace with Hitler. It is at once a detailed but riveting history, a compelling story, and a psychological examination of a great man and one of the most important and consequential decisions perhaps ever made.
— Lori M.
“I really enjoyed it. The book flows in a logical way that makes it very easy to read.”
“The narrative on Churchill’s opposition to peace with Hitler was very convincing based on the evidence provided. It was fascinating to see how other historians’ takes on this topic were delt with.”
“ I thought one of the more compelling portions, was the redemptive historical arc for Neville Chamberlain. It was really fascinating to see his own opposition to an armistice with Hitler after his own experiences at Munich in 1938. Really interesting to someone like me who has grown up as only seeing him as the ‘appeasement guy.’”
— Ben L.
“Great writing and great reading.”
“No Peace with Hitler builds on exhaustive research to explore the reasons underlying Churchill’s May 1940 decision to not negotiate with Hitler. Nice job of exhaustive research and pulling things together.”
“Overall, it is a very well thought-out and written book.”
— Tom T.
“I just finished reading the rich detail in Chapter 1 about Churchill’s childhood. Terrible parents and a tough time for Winston.”
— Neil R.
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“I loved how the sections connect with each other, leading me on from one period to the next. Although Someone else described it as a “page-turner” – an unlikely description for this type of subject – but Yes! I agree.”
– Russ M.