Churchill, Hitler, and 'The Unnecessary War'

How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World

By: Patrick J. Buchanan

Narrated by: Don Leslie

Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Were World Wars I and II - which can now be seen as a 30-year paroxysm of slaughter and destruction - inevitable? Were they necessary wars? Were the bloodiest and most devastating conflicts ever suffered by mankind fated by forces beyond man’s control? Or were they products of calamitous failures of judgment? In this monumental and provocative history, Patrick Buchanan makes the case that, if not for the blunders of British statesmen - Winston Churchill first among them - the horrors of two world wars and the Holocaust might have been avoided and the British Empire might never have collapsed into ruins.

Half a century of murderous oppression of scores of millions under the iron boot of Communist tyranny might never have happened, and Europe’s central role in world affairs might have been sustained for many generations.

Among the British and Churchillian blunders were:

• The vengeful Treaty of Versailles that mutilated Germany, leaving her bitter, betrayed, and receptive to the appeal of Adolf Hitler
• Britain’s capitulation, at Churchill’s urging, to American pressure to sever the Anglo-Japanese alliance, insulting and isolating Japan
• The greatest blunder in British history: the unsolicited war guarantee to Poland of March 1939 - that guaranteed the Second World War

Certain to create controversy and spirited argument, Churchill, Hitler and 'the Unnecessary War' is a grand and bold insight into the historic failures of judgment that ended centuries of European rule and guaranteed a future that no one who lived in that vanished world could ever have envisioned.

©2008 Patrick J. Buchanan (P)2008 Books on Tape

red pil

Red pill your family and friends about the truth of Churchill with this book. honestly it is such an amazing book if you like being told the truth about history and not the Victor's truth of history.

Beware, be very beware

The one thing to take away from this book is to be very aware that articulate politicians are not the best thinkers or leaders.

For Buchanan to accuse Churchill of being a raceist is interesting. Perhaps Buchanan should look at his own words, and his website.

A well written compelling analysis

Buchanan recounts recent history from a perspective quite different from what I held for many years. Although I had long appreciated the sins of revanche there it much more to consider. He sets out facts and credible interpretations. I have both read and listed to the book and highly recommend both versions.

The Most Important Book You Will Ever Read

A convincing and well-researched reappraisal of Churchill and the "good war". Information within will inspire you to ask further questions about the topic.

insightful and well written.

conclusuons that only look better with time, as I watch America walk off the same cliff Britain did before it.

Thought provoking and well researched

I was left with a better understsnding of the true effects of WW2 on the world.
The author paints a very telling picture of how war, an unnecessary war, can lead to the collapse of empires and the rise of despots.
There was a ton of citations supporting the authors position and he also provided counter arguments and challenged those positions with the cold and ruthless logic of someone who truly believes America has taken a wrong turn in its foreign policy.
I'm not as on board with the conservative mindset about preserving the country, however, it paints in my opinion, a very telling view of how the United States has taken on the same behavior that lead to the fall of the British Empire.

You Won't See WW1 and WW2 History The Same Again

Patrick Buchanan's 'The Unnecessary War' brings some much needed nuance to the histories of both the first and second world war. His scathing analysis and critique of British, German and even American foreign policies leading up to and during both conflicts is a breath of fresh air compared to the dry, uncontroversial, black and white telling of the history we are usually exposed to in most media. I came away from this book with a completely new understanding of the greatest conflicts in human history and I can honestly say that this is one of the few books that has been instrumental in forming my world view.

Spellbinding.

A hypnotic and enraging recounting of how ego and arrogant ignorance consigned 100 million to the flames. Makes me want to topple Winnie's statue myself...

relevant and prophetic

informative to world wars, dire warning to present endless wars. clear parallels to errors that led to world War sand current state of foreign policy

Loved it and Learned a Lot!

I liked that the story ran from the time of the Monarchs till present day. Lots of references and good research. The treaty of Versailles was brutal. I knew that but this book gave me more specific information. I always wondered just how someone like Hitler could come to power and this book gave a good perspective on that... You also see how Japan and Italy fit in.
Churchill may have been a great warrior but could have played the empires hand much better...
A comprehensive history which I will have to read once more at 3/4 speed as I put on the sleep timer and fight back the drowsiness after a long day at work!