Finest and Darkest Hours

'This survey of British political crises is invaluable for anyone concerned with politics today, and it reinforces George Santayana's dictum that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it... This book is full of lessons for politicians in the 21st century and also a fascinating read in its own right.' -- Denis Healey, BBC History magazine Kevin Jeffery's authoritative and entertaining book is about the twelve key events in British politics since the Second World War, how they influenced the years that followed them and what Britain might have been like had they not occurred. Combining vivid character portraits with subtle, often highly revisionist, analysis of the unfolding crises, Finest and Darkest Hours ranges from Winston Churchill's accession to the premiership in 1940 through to the emergence of New Labour in 1994, and identifies precisely how significant these episodes really were. 'A well-written romp through the juiciest moments in postwar history' New Statesman 'A good, racy read' Anthony Howard, Books of the Year, Sunday Times 'Addicts of 'what if' speculation will love this book' Financial Times 'Politicians don't take good advice: this is what this brilliant book is about' The Herald

Kevin Jefferys lectures in history at Plymouth University. He is the author of several works on post-war British politics, including The Labour Party Since 1945 (1993), Retreat from New Jerusalem: British Politics 1951-64 (1997), Anthony Crosland: A New Biography (1999). He is the editor of Leading Labour: From Keir Hardie to Tony Blair (1999).