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Jonathan Walker

Operation Unthinkable: The Third World War: British Plans to Attack the Soviet Empire 1945 Hardcover – December 1, 2013

by Jonathan Walker (Author)

27 ratings

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A study of one of the great "what if"s of modern times—Churchill's proposed invasion of the Soviet Union as World War II drew to a close

As the war in Europe entered its final months, the world teetered on the edge of a Third World War. While Soviet forces smashed their way into Berlin, Churchill ordered British military planners to prepare the top secret Operation Unthinkable—the plan for an Allied invasion of the Soviet Union on July 1, 1945. Using U.S., British, and Polish forces, the invasion would reclaim Eastern Europe for the West. The plan called for the use of the atomic bomb and Nazi troops if necessary—highly controversial, as the true extent of the Holocaust was becoming clear. This haunting study of the war that so nearly was outlines the motivations behind Churchill's plan, the logistics of launching a vast assault against an enemy who had bested Hitler, potential sabotage by Polish communists, and whether the Allies would have succeeded. Well supported by a wide range of primary sources from the Polish Underground Museum Study Trust, Sikorski Institute, National Archives, and Imperial War Museum, this is a fascinating insight into the upheaval as World War II drew to a close and the Allies' mistrust of the Soviet Union that would blossom into the Cold War.

Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Spellmount
Publication date

December 1, 2013
Dimensions

6 x 0.8 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

0752487183
ISBN-13

978-0752487182
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jonathan Walker is a member of the British Commission for Military History and the author of Aden Insurgency: The Savage War in Yemen, The Blood Tub: General Gough and the Battle of Bullecourt, and Poland Alone: Britain, SOE and the Collapse of the Polish Resistance, 1944.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Spellmount (December 1, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0752487183
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0752487182
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,492,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,072 in European Politics Books
- #23,810 in World War II History (Books)
- #90,447 in World History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
27 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		63%
4 star		17%
3 star		14%
2 star		6%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Amazon Customer

Mucho título para un trabajo pobre

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

Creo que un párrafo de no más de 4 o 5 líneas sería suficiente para evitar la lectura de este libro.

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Renzo Strada

A "What if" with roots in reality

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2017

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A book about a possible "alternate history" period that COULD have really happened, leaves something to be desired but interesting reading tough.

One person found this helpful

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Gilbert R Gutierrez

nice hypothetical for proposed combat operations against the soviet union ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2015

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nice hypothetical for proposed combat operations against the soviet union at the close of world war two ..... to forestall a possible soviet takeover of the rest of europe and to try and liberate poland.

2 people found this helpful

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Louis

Fascinating, Readable, Scary

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2018

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I'm surprised Operation Unthinkable and related topics aren't more widely discussed in historical literature. This book provides a unique analysis on terrifying bit of almost-history. It's also well researched but fast-paced and doesn't read like a textbook.

2 people found this helpful

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a. audio listener

Highly readable and full of detail

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2016

I found this book to be a fascinating (and sometimes chilling) excursion into British and American political and military thinking during the waning months of World War II. A great read for someone looking to broaden their understanding of the seeds of Cold War, Poland's tragic history, and the carving up of Europe at the end of WWII. The book includes an extensive bibliography and 16 plates of maps and photos. There is also an informative section describing unpublished sources. I don't understand why another reviewer would describe this book as "not in-depth". There seemed to me to be an abundance of highly readable material pertaining to the stated subject of the book. Oh, and for the record, there are 30 pages of footnotes in this 191-page book. This computes to 15.7% of the total, not 50% as described by another reviewer.

6 people found this helpful

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Tenchi in DC

Short and Not In-depth

Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2014

If one buys this book thinking you will get a full treatment of the subject of what could have happened if a war broke out between the Allies of World War II, you will be severely disappointed. However, if you are interested in a single case study of Churchill's thought process and the steps he took to formulate policy in 1945, then one will be very satisfied. The book is an excellent source book for further studies as it is about 50% footnotes. As for the larger subject of "What would have happened if War broke out?", a reader would be better served by reading a alternate history book.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2017

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A wealth of factual information about the formative period of the Cold War.

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Greenrig

Not about much

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2019

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A slim book summarising a study commissioned by Churchill to push Russia back East in 1945. There were many such studies, and this one seemed particularly thin. Very little evidence is offered for the more gaudy claims, e.g. to use German forces, or to use A-bombs.

cheese m.

Rivrtting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2019

Verified Purchase

Excellent read

Martin

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2017

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a very good read, and makes you consider the political turmoil across Europe after the 2nd. World War

2 people found this helpful

Colin Boardman

Origin's of the Cold War

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

Well researched. A good read for anyone interested in the origin's of the Cold War and East West relationships the close of WW2

3 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Wieso wird dem im Sschulunterricht kein Platz eingeräumt?

Reviewed in Germany on December 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

Es ist schon erstaunlich, was man sich über Bücher erlesen kann und das im Verhältnis zur gelehrten oder soll man sagen geleerten Geschichte betrachtet.

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Operation Unthinkable: The Third World War: British Plans to Attack the Soviet Empire 1945 Hardcover – December 1, 2013

Editorial Reviews

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