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How Churchill won the war but lost the vote
Though the subtitle of this book is "British Politics and the Second World War," the title points to the more specific focus of Paul Addison's book, which is on the change in political attitudes which brought about the Labour Party's momentous victory in the 1945 general election. He argues that the war was central to this, as it undermined the standing of the Conservative-dominated "National" government by placing upon them the responsibility for the outbreak of war. Though Winston Churchill's outsized standing offset this, he was content to cede the initiative on domestic policy to the Labour Party, whose work on defining postwar programs left them well positioned to appeal to an electorate seeking a better Britain after the war. It's a persuasive argument thanks to Addison's clear and insightful analysis, making this book essential reading for anyone wishing to understand both twentieth-century British politics and why the British public voted out their lionized wartime prime minister so soon after he had led his nation to victory in the war against Germany.
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