Between May 1940 and December 1941, leaders of the world’s six major powers faced ten critical decisions that set the course of World War II. Ian Kershaw’s narrative weaves these moments into a single tapestry, revealing the stakes, intelligence, and personalities behind each choice.

From Churchill’s resolve to fight on after France’s fall, to Hitler’s decisions to invade the Soviet Union and declare war on the United States, the book spotlights how contingency and ambition clashed on a global scale. Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease support and undeclared conflict, Stalin’s misreading of German intentions, Mussolini’s alliance with Hitler, and Japan’s southern advance all unfold with vivid drama.

The book highlights:

• Churchill’s determination in May 1940
• Hitler’s turn eastward against the USSR
• Japan’s strike on American and colonial targets
• Roosevelt’s undeclared war and Lend-Lease policy

By exploring intelligence failures, political pressures, and personality dynamics, the narrative restores a sense of contingency to history’s pivotal moments.

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