THE DUNKIRK EVACUATION HAD FAILED?
INTERVIEW WITH
JOSHUA LEVINE
Joshua Levine practised as a barrister before becoming an actor and writer. He has written several books on the subject of the two World Wars and served as the historical consultant on the 2017 film Dunkirk.
Between 26 May and 4 June 1940, a vast operation took place to rescue thousands of British troops from northern France. The Germans’ rapid advance through the difficult and hilly terrain of the Ardennes had outflanked the British forces. Realising that a continued attack would be hopeless, the British launched Operation Dynamo, a huge endeavour to rescue as many troops as possible. The improvised evacuation, involving hundreds of navy and civilian vessels, was nothing short of a miracle. It kept Britain in the war and paved the way for the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. Yet the success of
