Ebook1,277 pages
The Hinge of Fate
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The British prime minister recounts battles from Midway to Stalingrad, and how the Allies turned the tide of WWII: “Superlative.” —The New York Times
The Hinge of Fate is the dramatic account of the Allies’ changing fortunes. In the first half of the book, Winston Churchill describes the fearful period in which the Germans threaten to overwhelm the Red Army, Rommel dominates the war in the desert, and Singapore falls to the Japanese. In the span of just a few months, the Allies begin to turn the tide, achieving decisive victories at Midway and Guadalcanal, and repulsing the Germans at Stalingrad. As confidence builds, the Allies begin to gain ground against the Axis powers.
This is the fourth in the six-volume account of World War II told from the unique viewpoint of the man who led his nation in the fight against tyranny. The series is enriched with extensive primary sources, as we are presented with not only Churchill’s retrospective analysis of the war, but also memos, letters, orders, speeches, and telegrams, day-by-day accounts of reactions as the drama intensifies. Throughout these volumes, we listen as strategies and counterstrategies unfold in response to Hitler’s conquest of Europe, planned invasion of England, and assault on Russia, in a mesmerizing account of the crucial decisions made as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
“No memoirs by generals or politicians . . . are in the same class.” —The New York Times
The Hinge of Fate is the dramatic account of the Allies’ changing fortunes. In the first half of the book, Winston Churchill describes the fearful period in which the Germans threaten to overwhelm the Red Army, Rommel dominates the war in the desert, and Singapore falls to the Japanese. In the span of just a few months, the Allies begin to turn the tide, achieving decisive victories at Midway and Guadalcanal, and repulsing the Germans at Stalingrad. As confidence builds, the Allies begin to gain ground against the Axis powers.
This is the fourth in the six-volume account of World War II told from the unique viewpoint of the man who led his nation in the fight against tyranny. The series is enriched with extensive primary sources, as we are presented with not only Churchill’s retrospective analysis of the war, but also memos, letters, orders, speeches, and telegrams, day-by-day accounts of reactions as the drama intensifies. Throughout these volumes, we listen as strategies and counterstrategies unfold in response to Hitler’s conquest of Europe, planned invasion of England, and assault on Russia, in a mesmerizing account of the crucial decisions made as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
“No memoirs by generals or politicians . . . are in the same class.” —The New York Times
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Titles in the series (7)
Triumph and Tragedy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hinge of Fate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gathering Storm Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Grand Alliance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Closing the Ring Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Their Finest Hour Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hinge of Fate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Hinge of Fate
Rating: 4.285087598245614 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
114 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reading this gives the grand view from the chess master's point of view. Although losses are spoken of, they are mentioned in vast quantities that the brain can't really cope with. 50,000 P.O.W.s, 1,000,000 tons of shipping, 5,000 dead, etc. All given the same value of loss in a sentence or paragraph. A grand game to be won or lost. I don't think Churchill meant to be callous or unfeeling. It's just that that is the only way to report and cope. The war had to be won and that was the only way to accomplish it.It is good though, to have read books like Ernie Pyle's "Brave Men" or "This is Your War" to have balance and know that each man lost had a name. A family. A story.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An aptly read account, the man sounds like Churchill, of the years 1942-43 from the man on the front line. Years of great humiliation for Britain and a great turnaround.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The longest volume by a considerable margin. Incredible amount of detail about setting everything up for the Mediterranean campaigns, in particular. Churchill's correspondence with Stalin was most interesting.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark days in the desert, and the turn-around at El Alamein are covered here in the fattest volume of the war memoirs. The Fall of Singapore and the considerations of the Japanese War become apparent. But we end with the landings in Algeria and Morocco. Read at least four times.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Another installment of the masterful telling of the history of the Second World War. The breadth and penetration of Churchill's oversight is quite staggering, and the access to top-level communications paints a vivid picture of the direction of the war. The only fault, as usual, is the omission of any mention of Bletchley Park's output - though the reasons made sense at the time, reading now the lacuna is most noticeable.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The fourth volume of Churchill's Second World war series concerns the turning point of the war. Although Churchill states that he knew the war was won in the third volume this is the book in which the actual events occurred.However, the book is much more about politics than combat. There are a great many memos, letters and position papers. Political events are well covered. In any event, this is all interesting at least to me. It relates how a major war leader conducts affairs, leads men and initiates events. I can recommend the book and the series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Promises, promises, promises. Churchill's fourth volume of WWII memiors. The tide has turned. Churchill keeps promising Stalin supplies and a second front and not exactly not delivering, just postponing. Not as good as previous volumes, but still compelling.
Book preview
The Hinge of Fate - Winston S. Churchill
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