The Second World War, Volume 1: The Gathering Storm Book

'The Gathering Storm' by Winston S. Churchill is the first volume in a six volume set of reprints by the Reprint Society, London. Published by arrangement with Messrs Cassell & Co. Ltd (publishers of the 1948 original), Reprint Society Editions were published in 1950 and also 1952. Churchill writes that the moral of the work is 'In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Goodwill'. He acknowledges assistance in the establishment of the story of the military aspect of the war by Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall; in naval matters by Commodore G. R. G. Allen; and on European and general questions by Colonel F. W. Deakin of Wadham College. When writing these volumes about the Second World War, Churchill regarded them as a continuation of the story of the First World War as set out in 'The World Crisis', 'The Eastern Front' and 'The Aftermath' and commented that when finished they would represent an account of a further 'Thirty Years War'. He followed the method used by Daniel Defoe in his 'Memoirs of a Cavalier' by hanging the chronicle and discussion of great military and political events on the thread of an individual's personal experiences. In this case, Churchill is of course the individual-he believed that this was a role he could fulfil as possibly 'the only man who has passed through both the two supreme cataclysms of recorded history in high executive office'. Churchill has used Memoranda, Directives, Personal Telegrams and Minutes to illustrate and give current account of how events were viewed by him, the person with the chief responsibility for the war and policy of the British Empire and Commonwealth. The theme of this volume in particular is 'How the English-Speaking Peoples Through Their Unwisdom, Carelessness and Good Nature Allowed the Wicked to Rearm'. Book 1 within Volume 1 is entitled 'From War to War 1919-1939'. Book 2 within Volume 1 is entitled 'The Twilight War, September 3 1939- May 10, 1940'.Read More