1939: The World We Left Behind
By Robert Kee
How newspapers shaped public opinion before the outbreak of war (Robert Kee WWII Histories)
‘Authentic, absorbing . . . and worth any number of conventional histories.’The Times
In the early months of 1939, nobody knew war was coming.
In this unique account, Robert Kee presents a world in which World War Two is not yet a certainty.
Using newspapers and radio broadcasts of the day, Kee shows a world where Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement was accepted as the best solution to stop Hitler. Winston Churchill was just a backbench MP.
In the press, the biggest issue was the outrage that Vivien Leigh was cast as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. Political rumblings, which would later have global consequences, went relatively unnoticed.
Kee’s book is a compelling look at history without the benefit of hindsight. An extraordinary view of the calm before the storm.
________________________________________________
PRAISE FOR 1939: The World We Left Behind:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Absorbing book, full of facts.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Well written, informative and enjoyable.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fascinating insight . . . this book brings the year much more to light — more human.’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The clearest and most detailed account of the complexities of the fateful year of 1939 yet written.’