Contents

List of Maps

List of Principal Characters Featured

Note on the Text

Introduction

Part I: War Begins

1 Countdown

2 Diplomacy

3 Running Out of Time

4 The Point of No Return

5 War Declared

6 All at Sea

7 Offensive Reconnaissance

8 Vehicle Shortages

9 The Modern Army

10 Leading the Nation

11 Attention to Detail

12 Case YELLOW

13 Home Front

14 Iron in the Soul

15 All Alone

Part II: Germany Triumphant

16 Operation WESERÜBUNG

17 The Battle for Norway

18 The Go-for-Broke Gamble

19 Attack in the West

20 Race to the Meuse

21 Smashing the Meuse Front

22 Encirclement

23 Britain’s Darkest Hour

24 Getting Away

25 The End in France

26 Air Power: I

Part III: War in the Air and on the Sea

27 Air Power: II

28 Not Alone

29 Indecision

30 Adler-Angriff

31 Crossing the Water

32 The Approach to Battle

33 Science, Money and Resources

34 The Grey Atlantic

35 The Humiliation of Mussolini

36 Change of Tack

Part IV: The Widening War

37 The Vanquished and the Defiant

38 Saved from the Deep

39 Developments at Sea

40 Sea Battles

41 Mixed Fortunes: I

42 Forwards and Backwards

43 Gains and Losses

44 Mixed Fortunes: II

45 Mercury Falling

46 Midsummer Heat

47 Industrial Potential

48 Trouble at the Top

Glossary

Appendices

Timeline

Notes

Selected Sources

Acknowledgements

Picture Acknowledgements

Index