1945: The Reckoning

Delve into a pivotal moment in history with this compelling exploration of the year 1945, a time when the fate of empires hung in the balance. Authored by Phil Craig, a historian with a rich academic background from Cambridge University, this work examines the seismic shifts that occurred as World War II drew to a close. The narrative intricately weaves together the stories of the British, Dutch, and French as they grapple with the profound changes and challenges of a post-war world. This insightful account offers a deep dive into the political, social, and military transformations that shaped the modern era, making it an essential read for history enthusiasts seeking to understand the complex dynamics of war and empire.

Side 1: The Wasted Years

In Washington President Truman Hails The North Atlantic Pact

Flashback To H.G. Wells Prophecy In 1934: "The World Is Drifting Towards Catastrophe"

Prime Ministers Ramsey Macdonald And Stanley Baldwin In Pursuit Of Peace

The Italian Dictator, Benito Mussolini, Glorifying War

King George V. Broadcasts An Historic Prayer From Britain's Parliament

The Voice Of Amelia Ehrhart, Martyr To Aviation

The Giant Airship Hindenburg Bursts Into Flames At Lakehurst, New Jersey, May 6th, 1937

Side 2: Prelude To War

Kind Edward VIII. Abdicates For "The Woman I Love"

Austria Is Annexed By Hitler, - Speech And Acclamation

Returning From Munich, Neville Chamberlain, Brings An Assurance Of Peace With Germany

"Liberating" Nazis March Into The Sudetenland

September 1st, 1939 -Poland Invaded By Germany- Neville Chamberlain's Broadcast Of September 3rd, 1939 ("... And That Consequently, This Country Is At War With Germany"

London Hears Its First Air Raid Alarm

Side 3: Britain Stands Alone

Gas-Mask Training For School-Children During The "Phoney War"

Low Countries Invaded, May 10th, 1940

Singing Tommies Cross Belgium Frontier To Meet Wehrmacht

Three Weeks Later, J.B. Priestley, Broadcasts His Famous Postscript To The Epic Of Dunkirk (The Good Ship "Gracie Fields")

Enslaved Europe Hear The Voices Of Her Leaders In London: President Benes, Queen Wilhelmina, King Haakon, King Peter, General Sikorski, General De Gaulle

Winston Churchill ralies The Nation (Let Us Therefore Brace Ourselves To Our Duty)

Side 4: The Lion Has Wings

R.A.F. Spitfires And Hurricanes Fight And Win The Battle Of Britain

Luftwaffe's Night "Blitz" On London

Spirit Of The Cockney Expressed By Cab-Driver Harry Anderson

Two Americans Ben Lyons And Bebe Daniels And The Well-Loved Tommy Handley Bring Good Cheer To Embattled London Through The "Hi Gang" And "Itma" Radio Programme

The Voice Of Colonel Britten Is Heard By The Resistance Movement In Underground Europe ("The Night Is Your Friend. The V Is Your Sign.")

Side 5: New World Rallies To The Old

Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbour Brings America Into War And Franklin D. Roosevelt Declares His Faith In Victory

general Douglas Mac Arthur At Melbourne, March 21st, 1942

British War Workers Sing At The Production Front

Nightingale In A Surrey Wood Matches Its Voice Against The Drone Of A Thousand Bombers Striking At Germany

Intercom, Conversation By Bomber Crew Over Berlin

General Montgomery's Private Speech At Eighth Army Officers Before El Alamein ("Here We Will Stand And Fight"), August 13th, 1942

Side 6: The Long Night Ends

Eighth Army's Artillery Barrage Opens The Battle Of El Alamein

From Britain, General "Ike" Eisenhower Announces The D-Day Invasion Of France, June 6th, 1944

Actuality Recording By Stanley Maxted Made Under Fire With The Airborne Division At Arnhem

Joyous Paris Crowds Greet The Army Of Liberation

Britain's Final Ordeal By Pilotless Planes And Rockets

Crossing The Rhine In A "Buffalo" In Pursuit Of The Wehrmacht

Liberated Victim Of A Nazi Concentration Camp Meets His Mother

Side 7: We Shall Remember Them

Victory Celebration In Whitehall On V-E Day: Winston Churchill Greets The Singing Crowds. ("This Is Your Victory, The Victory Of The Cause Of Freedom In Every Land")

Genral "Ike" Eisenhower Becomes A Freeman Of The City Of London And Adresses Fellow-Citizens From The Mansion House Steps

Memorial Service At St. Paul's Cathedral To Franklin D. Roosevelt, April 17th, 1945. The Great Bells Of St. Paul's Ring Out A Tribute To Britain's Staunch Friend.

Side 8: The Reckoning

Clement Attlee Britain's New Prime Minister, Announces The Japanese Surrender And The End Of The War

General Election Exchanges Between Churchill And Attlee Over The B.B.C.

Trials Of Nazi War Criminals At Nuremberg: Hermann Goering And Rudolf Hess Enter Ples Of "Not Guilty"

The Nuremberg Judgement Is Pronounced.

Eye-witness Sergeant-Major E. Austin reports Heinrich Himmler's Suicide

William ("Lord Haw-Haw") Joyce Propaganda Puppet Of Goebbels Is Sentenced To Death In London

Side 9: Tapestry Of Empire

Britain's Royal Family Tours The Union The Union Of South Africa And The Rhodesias.

King George Vi. Speaks Of His Anxiety About Britain's Economic Plight.

Princess Eliabeth Comes Of Age: Her Solemn Dedication To The Service Of The Empire

Jawaharlal Nehru On transfer Of Power To India

Swearing-In Of Lord Louis Mountbatten As First Governor-General Of India

Archbishop Of Canterbury Conducts Royal Wedding Of Princess Elizabeth And Duke Of Edinburgh At Westminster Abbey. ("For As Much As Philip And Elizabeth...")

Side 10: Men Can Sing Together

Duke Of Edinburgh Adresses Mansion House Audience On Return From Paris

Dr. Chaim Weizmann Speaks With Pride Of The New State Of Israel.

A Remedy For Sick And Infected Europe Is Prescribed By U.S. Secretary Of State George Marshall At Harvard University.

The "Air-Lift" Over The Soviet Blockade Of Berlin.

Ernest Bevin At Washington, On The Meaning Of The North Atlantic Pact. ("At Last, DemocracyIs No Longer A Series Of Isolated Units...")

Olympic Hymn Sung By Massed Choirs At Olympic Games, London, 1948

• Genre: Prose: non-fiction, Second World War, Biography: historical, political & military, United Kingdom, Great Britain, c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2
• Product Type: BOOK
• Barcode: 9781399714495
• Release Date: April 24, 2025

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