Munich, 1938: Appeasement and World War II

By David Faber

Book Overview

The dramatic narrative account of the 1938 Munich appeasement conference, in which Britain agreed to Adolf Hitler's annexation of the Sudetenland in return for his promise never to go to war again--before tumbling inexorably into World War II. - A pivotal chapter in history: When British Prime minister Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler signed an appeasement treaty in 1938, Chamberlain promised that the result would be "peace in our time." David Faber sheds new light on the key incidents leading up to the munich meeting and its aftermath; in Berlin, we witness Hitler's relentless preparations for war, even in the face of opposition from his own party, while in London, we watch helplessly as Chamberlain seizes executive control from his own cabinet, and makes one supreme effort after another to appease the F hrer. - A timely, hot-button topic: These days, appeasement is invoked to justify everything from the war in Iraq to the West's response to Putin's actions in Georgia. The first major book devoted to the appeasement conference in over thirty years, Munich, 1938 draws tough conclusions sure to stir up controversy. - Impeccable research blended with powerful prose: Drawing on diaries and notes taken by Hitler and Chamberlain's translator, Faber brings the events of 1938 alive with an insider's feel for the political infighting he uncovers. Packed with narrative punch and vivid characters, Munich, 1938 exposes readers to the war rooms and bunkers, revealing the secret negotiations and scandals upon which the world's fate would rest. It is modern history writing at its best.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 143913233X
• ISBN13: 9781439132333
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 1.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.1" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Scholarly, interesting treatment

A deep and scholarly analysis of Hitler and Chamberlain's meetings and negotiations in 1938 surrounding the Anschluss and the invasion of Czechoslovakia. Notable for the remarkable level of detail, in which each conversation and movement of the principal players is carefully tracked. This detail is still clearly subordinated to the overall narrative plan. Chamberlain here comes across as a somewhat befuddled elderly man,...

Driving off the cliff

Knowing the end of this historical event, you get to watch good men's ideals get in the way of fighting evil. David Faber recounts the events on both sides leading up to the Munich Pact of 1938 that sacrificed Czechoslovakia in the name of peace. Faber's recounting of this historical account of can best be summed up by the quote in the book, "The choice is not between war and peace but between war now or war later." Faber...

A Solid Narrative

Few authors are able to write narratives that keep a reader's interest from beginning to end, especially when the subject is diplomatic history. As a product of the '50's I was inculcated with the saga of Munich, Chamberlain and Hitler from grade school through high school and mostly in brief episodic and anecdotal fashion. Faber has serious talent (understatement). For me this was re-learning history in spades and especially...

A fascinating account of the people and events that will embolden Hitler to wage war.

David Faber has written a most thoughtful and well-researched study of the time leading up to the Munich Conference, the conference itself and the immediate repercussions that evolved from that conference. All the key players are covered: Hitler, Chamberlain, Eden, Halifax, Mussolini, Blomberg, Keitel, Fritisch and many others. The author also covers some of the actions Hitler undertook to make Germany compliant to his wishes...

A BRILLIANT ACCOUNT OF A CONTROVERSIAL PERIOD

When Mr. Neville Chamberlaine returned to London from his meeting with Hitler at the end of September,1938,he waved a piece of paper which had his and the Fuhrer's signature."Peace for our time"- he exclaimed.Reality showed how naive he had been then. Mr Faber has written one of the best books on this topic.It is a narrative history which starts on November,5, 1937.Hitler delivered a famous speech in which he made it very...