Five Days in London, May 1940

From May 24 to May 28, 1940, Britain's War Cabinet debated whether to negotiate with Hitler or continue fighting in what became the Second World War. John Lukacs examines this critical period hour by hour, focusing on events at 10 Downing Street where Winston Churchill and his cabinet weighed their responsibilities. Churchill had been in office for only two weeks and faced derision from many colleagues. As disaster unfolded at Dunkirk, he struggled to make his case for continued resistance. However, the British public increasingly supported his position, and he ultimately prevailed in the internal battle over Britain's course of action. This narrative account documents the drama and global significance of those five days in May 1940.