When the RAF rearmed to meet the growing threat from Nazi Germany's remorseless expansion in the late 1930s, it faced immense challenges. It had to manage a huge increase in size as well as mastering rapid advances in aviation technology. To protect Britain from attack, the RAF's commanders had to choose the right strategy and the right balance in its forces. The choices had to be made in peacetime with no guidance from combat experience. These visions then had to be translated into practical reality. A shifting cast of government ministers, civil servants and industrialists with their own financial, political and military agendas brought further dynamics into play. The RAF's readiness for war was crucial to Britain's ability to respond to Nazi aggression before war broke out and when it did, the RAF's rearmament was put to the acid test of battle. Adrian Phillips uses the penetrating grasp of how top level decisions are made that he honed in his inside accounts of the abdication crisis and appeasement, to dissect the process which shaped the RAF of 1940. He looks beyond the familiar legends of the Battle of Britain and explores in depth the successes and failures of a vital element in British preparations for war.

Rearming the RAF for the Second World War: Poor Strategy and Miscalculation

History

Phillips, Adrian

Americas

Pen and Sword History

The First Royal Media War: Edward VIII, The Abdication and the Press

Europe

A radically new view of the British policy of appeasement in the late 1930s, identifying the individuals responsible for a variety of miscalculations and moral surrender that made World War II inevitable. Appeasement failed in all its goals. The kindest thing that can be said of it is that postponed World War II by one year. Its real effect was to convince Hitler and Mussolini that Britain was weak and afraid of confrontation, encouraging them to ever-greater acts of aggression. The turning point of the Czech crisis in September 1938 came when Wilson saw Hitler on his own and left him convinced that Britain was bluffing and would not go to war to defend Czechoslovakia. The dismemberment of Czechoslovakia that followed was not the end of appeasement. The Anglo-German Declaration was Chamberlain’s personal vanity project but both Chamberlain and Wilson believed that it genuinely brought "peace for our time." Chamberlain and Wilson blindly pursued bilateral friendship between Britain and the dictators and ferociously resisted alternative policies such as working with France, the Soviet Union, or the U.S. to face down the dictators. They resisted all-out rearmament which would have put the economy on a war footing. These were all the policies advocated by Winston Churchill, the most dangerous opponent of appeasement. Churchill was a hated figure for Chamberlain and Wilson. They could not accept Churchill’s perception that that Hitler was the implacable enemy of peace and Britain, and opposing him became an end in itself for them. Churchill and Wilson had been bitter adversaries since early in their careers because of an incident that Fighting Churchill, Appeasing Hitler reveals publicly for the first time. Chamberlain had a fraught relationship with Churchill long before appeasement became an issue. Neither Chamberlain nor Wilson had any experience of day-to-day practical diplomacy. Both thought that the dictators would apply the same standards of rationality and clarity to the policies of Italy and Germany that applied in Britain. They could not grasp that Fascist demagogues operated in an entirely different way to democratic politicians. The catastrophe of the Chamberlain/Wilson appeasement policy offers a vital lesson in how blind conviction in one policy as the only alternative can be fatally damaging. 8 pages of B&amp;W photographs

Fighting Churchill, Appeasing Hitler: Neville Chamberlain, Sir Horace Wilson, & Britain's Plight of Appeasement: 1937-1939

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Pegasus Books

In 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire arose when Edward VIII proposed to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was pursuing the divorce of her second. The crisis led to the King's abdication in December of that year. Adrian Phillips reveals the harsh realities of how government responds when a monarch steps out of line, and describes the battles in Westminster and Whitehall that settled the fate of King and Mrs. Simpson.
Adrian Phillips worked as an investment analyst in London and Frankfurt for twenty-five years. He has a postgraduate Masters in modern history from Birmingham University.

The King Who Had To Go: Edward Vlll, Mrs Simpson and the Hidden Politics of the Abdication Crisis

Biteback Publishing

The relationship between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson created a constitutional crisis that has fascinated the public for decades. In this fascinating behind-the-scenes account of the royal abdication crisis of 1936, Adrian Phillips reveals the previously untold story of the hidden political machinations and insidious battles in Westminster and Whitehall that settled the fate of the King and Mrs Simpson.

The King Who Had to Go: Edward VIII, Mrs Simpson and the Hidden Politics of the Abdication Crisis

Singapore is far more than a haven for shopaholics and businessmen. While its world-class hotels and restaurants cater for the most demanding of bon viveurs, its rich nature reserves, diverse temples and vibrant festivals will delight the more adventurous traveler. Enjoy the romance of a unique night safari, or go in search of monkeys in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Visit a fortune-teller in Little India, spend a day on a fantasy island, sample drunken prawns or chili crab, and take tiffin at Raffles Hotel. Bradt's Singapore delves beyond the malls of Orchard Road to offer comprehensive advice on where to go and what to see. Inside you find: all the main attractions, including Singapore zoo and Sentosa Island; in-depth information about tours, festivals and events; detailed guide to the country's wildlife; where to eat, stay and shop; clear, accurate maps. (5 1/4 x 8 3/4, 240 pages, color photos, illustrations, maps)

Singapore: The Bradt Travel Guide

Travel

Nichol, John

Dorling, Isobel

Asia

Bradt Pubns

A comprehensive guide to the country, with a strong focus on the natural, historical, and cultural aspects that are distinctive features of the Bradt series. Budapest--one of the world's most romantic cities--is covered in detail, including a walk through the cobbled streets of Buda's Castle District, shopping and eating in Pest's downtown, and boating or ice-skating in City Park. The book also features the manifold highlights beyond the country's capital, such as the hilltop Benedictine monastery of Pannonhalma, the wondrous stalactite formations at the Aggtelek caves, the famous Hortobágy National Park, the valley wine cellars in Eger, and the puszta horse shows of the Great Plain. Here, too, is the practical information needed for a fulfilling and trouble-free trip, from public transportation and accommodations to sports, customs, and festivals. This guide features: &gt;Historical, cultural, and architectural heritage of Hungary, including churches, castles, and country mansions &gt;Horse riding, wine tasting, hiking, cycling, sailing, and wakeboarding &gt;Numerous thermal spas and baths &gt;Horse shows, traditional dancing, gypsy music &gt;Detailed coverage of Budapest and Lake Balaton, plus Hungary's nine national parks

Bradt Hungary (Bradt Travel Guides)

Scotchmer, Jo

Review: 'This is what we in Budapest have long been waiting for! A really satisfying, in-depth guide to the city's legendary and also more-hidden treasures, with hundreds of insider details and fascinating anecdotes' - "Where Budapest".

Bradt City Guide Budapest (Bradt City Guides)

This comprehensively revised second edition is the essential travel companion on trips to romantic Budapest, now firmly established as one of Europe’s must-see destinations. Popular with visitors on short breaks it’s also a meeting point for international business. Board a cog-wheel railway into Buda’s leafy hills; take a stroll through the cobbled Castle District or a soak in a thermal spa. Seek out the vibrant shops and restaurants of Pest, go boating in City Park or spend an evening at the opera.

Budapest, 2nd

Not since the 19th century has the future of the countryside been such a focus of political and public attention, nor of profound uncertainty and anguished debate. A watershed has now been reached, and in this time of unprecedented change, new tools are needed for planning and managing the countryside. Increasingly the 'drivers' of countryside management and conservation are European and international. They aim to provide comprehensive new frameworks for the whole countryside, and encourage community-driven planning and protection. There have been numerous responses at the country and local levels within the UK. In this book, a broad range of scholars and practitioners review the international drivers affecting countryside policy and practice, and - through a variety of case studies - they assess the value of country and local responses. The result is a powerful and coherent volume that provides a fully up-to-date review and analysis of the pressures on the countryside, the policies for the future and the keys to successful implementation. Countryside Planning is essential reading for planners, local authorities and rural organizations, conservationists and environmental groups, as well as academics and students in planning, rural studies, environmental studies and geography.

Countryside Planning: New Approaches to Management and Conservation

Bishop, Kevin

Reference

Routledge

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Books by Phillips, Adrian