Winston's War: A Novel of Conspiracy [Paperback]

Michael Dobbs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009

An intriguing tale of espionage and treason…this is a work to enthrall." — Daily Mail

Michael Dobbs' thrilling novel about the dawn of World War II, and Winston Churchill's rise to power.

It is the dawn of World War II, and Neville Chamberlain believes he has bought "peace for our time" from Adolph Hitler, who has just seized Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The English are alarmed by the huge German army, while the soldiers that would defend London don't even have steel helmets. For many, compromise and appeasement seem to be England's best defense.

But there are a few leaders who don't agree. Among them is Winston Churchill, who understands that the relentless march of fascism will be democracy's death knell. In October 1938, Churchill pleads his case in the press to the BBC's Guy Burgess. One of these two will become the most revered man of his time, and the other will be known as the greatest of traitors.

This stunning novel brings to life the surprising political intrigues that set the stage for World War II, and brings alive the passionate, grumpy, whiskey-drinking Winston Churchill, as he inspires his fellow countrymen to take on the world's mightiest army.

Includes bonus reading group guide

PRAISE FOR WINSTON'S WAR:

"An intriguing tale of espionage and treason... this is a work to enthrall."
Daily Mail

"An author who can bring historical happenings so vitally back to life and made all the more impressive by being historically accurate in every respect."
Times of London

"A fascinating tale of conspiracy, blackmail, and treachery."
Irish Independent

PRAISE FOR BOSTON GLOBE BESTSELLING AUTHOR MICHAEL DOBBS:

"Dobbs takes us so far inside the mind of Winston Churchill that we feel as though we actually are him."
Booklist

"Dobbs infuses dramatic tension, inventive plots, and heady pacing in the narration of a British icon's noblest hours."
Publishers Weekly

"Dobbs has done a brilliant job in evoking the drama and despair of Britain hovering on the edge of the abyss."
Sunday Express

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A thriller writer with a marvellous inside track knowledge of government.' Daily Express 'Dobbs makes of Churchill's wilderness years a cracking good political drama to curl up with. Not least because, controversially, the author presents an insalubrious young Guy Burgess as a key player in the statesman's return to power.' Bookseller -- star choice --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Michael Dobbs is also Lord Dobbs of Wylye, a member of the British House of Lords. He is Britain's leading political novelist and has been a senior adviser to Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher, John Major and David Cameron. His bestselling books include House of Cards, which was made into an award winning TV series in the UK and is currently being remade into a major US television series by Kevin Spacey and the director David Fincher. Read more on his website - www.michaeldobbs.com.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402217749
• ISBN-13: 978-1402217746
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An absorbing tale of political infighting, April 9, 2004

By 

Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Winstons War (Hardcover)

Based on historical fact, WINSTON'S WAR is a solid and absorbing fictional rendition of the leadership struggle between Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill between October 1, 1938 and May 10, 1940.

As the book opens, Chamberlain has returned to 10 Downing Street a public hero after the signing of the Munich Agreement between himself and Adolf Hitler which gave the latter the Sudetenland in return for "peace in our time". Meanwhile, relegated to the periphery of British politics and virtually an outcast, Churchill obstinately lashes out against appeasement and loudly proclaims the necessity for total war to save democracy from the depredations of the Nazis. What subsequently follows is history: the German subjugation of the rest of Czechoslovakia and the invasion of Poland, the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, the Phony War, the Soviet invasion of Finland, the British military's Norwegian fiasco, and the crisis in His Majasty's government in May 1940 that ultimately elevated Winston to the premiership.

The cast of characters in this sweeping story by Michael Dobbs of political maneuvering, skullduggery, and backstabbing is an historical Who's Who of the times: the ailing, haughty, and pacifist Chamberlain, who personifies England's bitter memories of the Great War and the popular concept of "never again"; the ambitious and self-absorbed Churchill, whose pugnacity sometimes clouds prudence; the defeatist, philandering, and anti-Semitic U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Joseph P. Kennedy; the alcoholic, disillusioned and psychologically tortured idealist, Guy Burgess (of Burgess, Philby, and Maclean of Cold War infamy); the stuttering King George VI, who whines that the German invasion of Poland interrupted his grouse hunting; and the Machiavellian newspaper mogul, William "Max" Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook.

It's in the minor details with which Dobbs fleshes out the story of Chamberlain's fall and the rise of his nemesis, Churchill, to an epic 685 paper-backed pages (UK HarperCollins edition). And it's the length of WINSTON'S WAR that is, perhaps, a minor flaw. Some of the subplots seemed unnecessary, and should have been severely cropped by a ruthless editor: the love affair between the crippled WWI survivor "Mac" McFadden, barber to the politically great and one of Guy's information sources, and Carol, a housemaid and part-time prostitute; and between Bournemouth postmistress Sue Graham and Army Sergeant Jerry White - though the experiences of the latter did usefully tie the Norway debacle into the storyline on a personal level. Slightly more relevant, but still mildly tedious, was the dysfunctional relationship between Brendan Bracken, Churchill's closest confidant, and Kennedy's niece, Anna Fitzgerald. Perhaps Dobbs perceived a need to include Carol, Sue and Anna to make it less of a Guy Read.

Chamberlain was toppled not because he sought to appease Hitler and avert a cataclysm, but because he didn't have the mettle to wage all-out war when the necessity for it was thrust upon him. That was to prove to be Winston's genius. The author's genius is in portraying the labyrinthine venality of Whitehall and Fleet Street powerbroking at a time when solidarity against a rapacious common enemy was desperately necessary.

WINSTON'S WAR is the first in a series of novels about Churchill's wartime leadership. According to the back cover, the next book is apparently NEVER SURRENDER. I shall seek out and buy it immediately.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truth In Fiction, December 12, 2007

By 

Robert Derenthal "bucherwurm" (California United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Winston's War (Paperback)

Many writers of historical fiction start with an actual event in history, and then let their imaginations run free. This fascinating book shows great imaginative restraint. Certainly there are fictional threads running through the tale, but Mr. Dobbs seriously wants to tell us about Neville Chamberlain's politics of appeasement, a policy that ended with his downfall as Prime Minister.

Throughout the book we are a fly on the wall listening to the political machinations of the principle characters in the story which include, Chamberlain, Churchill, Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, Lord Halifax, the traitor Guy Burgess, and many others. It is fascinating to see Chamberlain's party struggle to hold on as their political capital steadily declined. Churchill, on the other hand starts as an outcast, one who continually cries out that peace with Hitler is an unattainable goal. His rise to First Lord of the Admiralty, and then to Prime Minister is a long fight against the odds.

I am a history buff who's read books on WWII and English history, and this book taught me many things that I didn't know. Now I've said that this book fascinated me, the almost 700 pages just sped by, but I must say that this book may not be everybody's cup of tea. It definitely is not a wartime thriller. The novel is full of conversation, and as for action you'll have to settle for walks through the garden of Buckingham Palace with Lord Halifax, and King George VI (who, we find out, was so tongue tied that it was difficult for him to make clear statements).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great work, March 11, 2005

By 

S. J. Leighton (China) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Winston's War (Paperback)

I picked this book up in Bangkok as I was browsing through a second hand book store, and didn't expect much until I read that this was a novel by the guy who wrote House of Cards, To Play the King and The Final Cut.

As mentioned above, this covers the events leading up to World War 2. It provides a great insight into the behind the scenes goings-on in parliament, the rivalries and treacheries in the run up to Winston Churchill becoming Britains war time Prime Minister.

It's a superb read, really gripping from the first page through to the end. Definately recommended for anyone who has an interest in WW2, Churchill or British history. In fact, I would definately recommend this to anyone, it's easy going and difficult to put down.