Sixty years ago, Europe lay at the feet of Adolf Hitler. Standing between Hitler and world domination was the just-appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill...and a few hundred pilots in the Royal Air Force's Fighter Command. Defeat seemed inevitable. Instead, a legend was born.Taking its readers on a breathtaking journey from open lifeboats in North Atlantic gales to the cockpits of burning fighter planes, Finest Hour re-creates the tensions and uncertainties of the events of 1940 -- months when the fate of the world truly hung in the balance. It is a powerful account, told through the voices, diaries, letters, and memoirs of the men and women who lived and loved, fought and died, during that terrible yet ultimately triumphant year. The personal stories of these soldiers and airmen, diplomats and politicians, journalists and spies, are combined with a fresh and often controversial account of the swirling political intrigues and betrayals of the period.A testament to a year when a nation's darkest hour became its finest, Finest Hour is a singular achievement and an indispensable contribution to the literature of World War II.

ContentsPrologueIn Northern France, May 1940Entries from the Diary of Denis Wissler, May 19401 May 10-14, 19402 May 14-203 May 20-224 May 22-265 May 26-276 May 28-June 17 June 1-108 June 10-169 June 16-2010 June 20-July 1111 July 16-August 1512 August 16-2013 August 20-September 414 September 4-1115 September 11-1716 September 17-3017 October18 November and AfterEpilogueAcknowledgmentsBibliographyNotes on Sources