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Fateful Choices

Ten Decisions that Changed the World, 1940-1941

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Fateful Choices

By: Ian Kershaw
Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
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About this listen

Ian Kershaw's Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions That Changed the World, 1940-41 offers a penetrating insight into a series of momentous political decisions that shaped the course of the Second World War.

The hurricane of events that marked the opening of the Second World War meant that anything could happen. For the aggressors there was no limit to their ambitions; for their victims a new Dark Age beckoned. Over the next few months their fates would be determined.

In Fateful Choices Ian Kershaw re-creates the 10 critical decisions taken between May 1940, when Britain chose not to surrender, and December 1941, when Hitler decided to destroy Europe's Jews, showing how these choices would recast the entire course of history.

Ian Kershaw (b. 1943) was Professor of Modern History at the University of Sheffield from 1989 to 2008 and is one of the world's leading authorities on Hitler. His books include The "Hitler Myth"; his two-volume biography Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris and Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis; and Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions That Changed the World, 1940-1941. He was knighted in 2002.

©2008 Ian Kershaw (P)2015 Audible, Ltd 20th Century Military Modern World War Interwar Period Imperialism Winston Churchill Holocaust Hungary

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Critic reviews

"Powerfully argued...important...this book actually alters our perspective of the Second World War." (Andrew Roberts)
"A splendidly lucid and impeccably argued exposition of the greatest political decisions of the Second World War." (Max Hastings)
"A compelling re-examination of the conflict...Kershaw displays here those same qualities of scholarly rigour, careful argument and sound judgement that he brought to bear so successfully in his life of Hitler." (Richard Overy)
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An excellent analysis of what happened in WW2 by examining critically what might have been and what other options were available to the key players.

Superb History

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Incredibly detailed, sometimes to a fault. Arguable choice of the 10 decisions that Changed the World, with a big US emphasis. Still, overall, excellent material.

But, what I really want to stress is the fantastic job done by the narrator, Barnaby Edwards. I have listened to dozens of history books, most over the 15 hour mark, and enjoyed most of them, but rarely has the narrator made such a mark on me.

Barnaby Edwards reading is fast, but unfaltering. One does not feel rushed, but one feels that the reading speed is almost at the level of silent reading, with no loss to intelligibility. I would guess that, read by anyone else, the 25 hours of the book would have stretched by 1 or 2 hours.

Last, but certainly not least, Barnaby Edwards' pronunciation of the foreign names of a language I know (French, Italian and German) is excellent, neigh faultless. So many good books are massacred by readers who cannot pronounced foreign names that this deserves a special mention.

PS: I am not related to Barnaby Edwards in any manner.

Fantastic Narrator, Barnaby Edwards

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I wish Audible would use the chapter headings. The book is a great investigation of complex decision making processes. Narration was perfect.

I wish Audible would use the chapter headings

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Like Peter Zeihan's other books, a very entertaining look at the current geopolitical situation. However there are occasional glaring factual errors in areas I am more familiar with e.g. claims that Turkey was at war with Austria-Hungary, Germany and Greece in WW1, and that Scotland is part of the UK by conquest. These errors do undermine confidence in the veracity of claims in areas I am less familiar, and therefore the overall thesis of the book.

Additionally, this book's conclusions don't concur with the conclusions of Zeihan's recent books e.g. the speculated future of the US and Germany are markedly different. Zeihan may have changed his mind, but it doesn't give confidence in his latest predictions!

Entertaining, but factual errors

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A fulfilling read structured so each perspective sits independently. inevitably this approach ends up repetitive in areas and which I found useful. I had my doubts over the narration at the beginning but settled into the voice and style quicker than expected. Having read a fair bit on the war, its political villains and heroes Its a book that helped to understand a fair few gaps.

A necessary read amongst WW2 books

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Kershaw is a master of the detail ... and it is an interesting way to retell the history of the Second World War through the key decisions and what if. There is some repetition but considering the overlapping events, may not be surprising. Certainly one of the books you listen to more than once. Never ceases to amaze me how the Brits escaped not being a German colony!!

Great perception on history

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Edwards is a great narrator.
I felt Kershaw repeated himself a fair amount without reason several times, but overall his writing is the historiography-shaping quality belied by his reputation. Also, the frequent belittling of counterfactual history was also unnecessary.

Kershaw shows his usual quality

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My Father told me that the day I arrived in this world, my mother seemed more exercised about the fact that Germans were marching through Paris. I have always wondered what that must have really felt like. Ian Kershaw's book supplied some of the answers with a masterly reading by Barnaby Edwards (as always). The combination of "what ifs" and giant personalities of the time has always been a happy hunting ground for unbridled speculation. However, I found this volume to be fascinating, interesting and most engaging. Some of the detail I could have done without, but perhaps I'm being picky!.
After reading Fateful Choices, I feel that a lot of colour has been added to my understanding about these times and the colossal impact of decisions taken in the face of international peril.

An absorbing read.

Filled in the blanks

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This is a stunning examination of WW11 and the choices that were made and the reasoning behind them. Puts the great conflict in a real context that will help the reader to more fully understand the war and it's futility

Brilliant

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A really great read i will read it again no doubt truly great book indeed

good listen

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