A riveting history of the daring politicians who challenged the disastrous policies of the British government on the eve of World War II
On May 7, 1940, the House of Commons began perhaps the most crucial debate in British parliamentary history. On its outcome hung the future of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's government and also of Britain-indeed, perhaps, the world. Troublesome Young Men is Lynne Olson's fascinating account of how a small group of rebellious Tory MPs defied the Chamberlain government's defeatist policies that aimed to appease Europe's tyrants and eventually forced the prime minister's resignation.
Some historians dismiss the "phony war" that preceded this turning point-from September 1939, when Britain and France declared war on Germany, to May 1940, when Winston Churchill became prime minister-as a time of waiting and inaction, but Olson makes no such mistake, and describes in dramatic detail the public unrest that spread through Britain then, as people realized how poorly prepared the nation was to confront Hitler, how their basic civil liberties were being jeopardized, and also that there were intrepid politicians willing to risk political suicide to spearhead the opposition to Chamberlain-Harold Macmillan, Robert Boothby, Leo Amery, Ronald Cartland, and Lord Robert Cranborne among them. The political and personal dramas that played out in Parliament and in the nation as Britain faced the threat of fascism virtually on its own are extraordinary-and, in Olson's hands, downright inspiring.
Industry Reviews
"A well-written, fast-paced book that reads like a political thriller . . . Troublesome Young Men is an extraordinary tale of political courage in perilous times-and a wonderfully written book." --Terry Hartle, Christian Science Monitor"[A] riveting book . . . Olson tells her story with verve, never letting the reader forget what was really at risk--and what might have happened if these particular troublemakers hadn't been so willing to stir the political pot." --The Atlantic Monthly"During the 1930s, as the rise of Nazism threatened western civilization, Winston Churchill's was a lonely voice warning of the coming danger, opposing the British government's policy of appeasement and urging immediate rearmament. Lonely, but not entirely alone. For a few younger Tory members of Parliament held similar views about the German threat, though they did not necessarily agree with Churchill on other issues. The odds were against them, and in attacking their own party's leaders they put their careers at risk, but in the end they and their allies prevailed: Neville Chamberlain and his defeatist government were overthrown, opening up the room at the top that Churchill so famously filled. Lynne Olson has seized upon their wonderful but neglected story and has told it with verve. It is a riveting tale, immensely readable, that brings to history the excitement of a novel." --David Fromkin, author of Europe's Last Summer A well-written, fast-paced book that reads like a political thriller . . . Troublesome Young Men is an extraordinary tale of political courage in perilous times and a wonderfully written book. Terry Hartle, Christian Science Monitor [A] riveting book . . . Olson tells her story with verve, never letting the reader forget what was really at risk--and what might have happened if these particular troublemakers hadn't been so willing to stir the political pot. The Atlantic Monthly During the 1930s, as the rise of Nazism threatened western civilization, Winston Churchill's was a lonely voice warning of the coming danger, opposing the British government's policy of appeasement and urging immediate rearmament. Lonely, but not entirely alone. For a few younger Tory members of Parliament held similar views about the German threat, though they did not necessarily agree with Churchill on other issues. The odds were against them, and in attacking their own party's leaders they put their careers at risk, but in the end they and their allies prevailed: Neville Chamberlain and his defeatist government were overthrown, opening up the room at the top that Churchill so famously filled. Lynne Olson has seized upon their wonderful but neglected story and has told it with verve. It is a riveting tale, immensely readable, that brings to history the excitement of a novel. David Fromkin, author of Europe's Last Summer" A well-written, fast-paced book that reads like a political thriller . . . "Troublesome Young Men" is an extraordinary tale of political courage in perilous times and a wonderfully written book. "Terry Hartle, Christian Science Monitor" [A] riveting book . . . Olson tells her story with verve, never letting the reader forget what was really at risk--and what might have happened if these particular troublemakers hadn't been so willing to stir the political pot. "The Atlantic Monthly" During the 1930s, as the rise of Nazism threatened western civilization, Winston Churchill's was a lonely voice warning of the coming danger, opposing the British government's policy of appeasement and urging immediate rearmament. Lonely, but not entirely alone. For a few younger Tory members of Parliament held similar views about the German threat, though they did not necessarily agree with Churchill on other issues. The odds were against them, and in attacking their own party's leaders they put their careers at risk, but in the end they and their allies prevailed: Neville Chamberlain and his defeatist government were overthrown, opening up the room at the top that Churchill so famously filled. Lynne Olson has seized upon their wonderful but neglected story and has told it with verve. It is a riveting tale, immensely readable, that brings to history the excitement of a novel. "David Fromkin, author of Europe's Last Summer"" "A well-written, fast-paced book that reads like a political thriller . . . "Troublesome Young Men" is an extraordinary tale of political courage in perilous times-and a wonderfully written book." --Terry Hartle, "Christian Science Monitor""[A] riveting book . . . Olson tells her story with verve, never letting the reader forget what was really at risk--and what might have happened if these particular troublemakers hadn't been so willing to stir the political pot." --"The Atlantic Monthly""During the 1930s, as the rise of Nazism threatened western civilization, Winston Churchill's was a lonely voice warning of the coming danger, opposing the British government's policy of appeasement and urging immediate rearmament. Lonely, but not entirely alone. For a few younger Tory members of Parliament held similar views about the German threat, though they did not necessarily agree with Churchill on other issues. The odds were against them, and in attacking their own party's leaders they put their careers at risk, but in the end they and their allies prevailed: Neville Chamberlain and his defeatist government were overthrown, opening up the room at the top that Churchill so famously filled. Lynne Olson has seized upon their wonderful but neglected story and has told it with verve. It is a riveting tale, immensely readable, that brings to history the excitement of a novel." --David Fromkin, author of "Europe's Last Summer" "A well-written, fast-paced book that reads like a political thriller . . . "Troublesome Young Men" is an extraordinary tale of political courage in perilous times-and a wonderfully written book." -Terry Hartle, "Christian Science Monitor""[A] riveting book . . . Olson tells her story with verve, never letting the reader forget what was really at risk-and what might have happened if these particular troublemakers hadn't been so willing to stir the political pot." -"The Atlantic Monthly""During the 1930s, as the rise of Nazism threatened western civilization, Winston Churchill's was a lonely voice warning of the coming danger, opposing the British government's policy of appeasement and urging immediate rearmament. Lonely, but not entirely alone. For a few younger Tory members of Parliament held similar views about the German threat, though they did not necessarily agree with Churchill on other issues. The odds were aga "One of the delightful aspects of Ms. Olson's book is her ability to mix the personal with the political; the story of Boothby's lifelong affair across five decades with Macmillan's wife and the repercussions it engendered makes for fascinating reading. . . . Olson's account is as fresh as it is engaging. Indeed, she is good at salting her book with all sorts of gems: Her accounts of life in the blackout, rationing, even the part the weather played in the national mood help make Troublesome Young Men the great read it is. . . . By the time readers finish this book, they will undoubtedly feel gratitude towards those "Troublesome Young Men"." --"The Washington Times""A cracking tale. . . . Olson recalls the train of events with authority and elegance. Her ear as a journalist gives the narrative a pace that allows it to unfold seamlessly as she introduces the cast of characters. . . . Olson's story reads like a novel. . . . Deeply affecting" --"The Globe and Mail" "Brisk, engaging. . . . [Olson] has given us a fascinating snapshot of the Tory 'rebels.' . . . The strength of Olson's book is how well she writes of the human element in politics and diplomacy. . . . Olson writes well . . . a successful book." --"The New York Times" Book Review "Lynne Olson's gripping new political history of the countdown to 1939 . . . is an intensely familiar story which has beentold and retold with hallowed regularity since the 40s. . . . None the less, the history is recounted with such journalistic flair that it constantly feels fresh." --"Guardian""A riveting tale, immensely readable, that brings to history the excitement of a novel." --David Fromkin, author of "Europe's Last Summer" and "A Peace to End All Peace""Vivid and compelling."-"Washington Post" Book World "Ms. Olson vividly recreates the climate of suspicion and hostility that surrounded the troublesome young men, a tiny minority with a seemingly hopeless cause. Half the tragedy of the appeasement years can be accounted for by the cutthroat parliamentary politics she describes with grim relish." -"The New York Times" "From the Hardcover edition."
