Neville Chamberlain

Neville Chamberlain is remembered today as Hitler's credulous dupe, the man who proclaimed in September 1938 that the Munich agreement guaranteed 'peace in our time'.

Unjustly dismissed as one of the great losers of history, this is a magisterial reappraisal of the man and his legacy, showing him to be a true radical and a man of passion, particularly with regard to the welfare of his fellow citizens. As Minister of Health, Chancellor and Prime Minister, he presided over a fundamental modernisation of Britain, shutting the door on the Victorian age, ending Free Trade, improving living conditions and abolishing the Poor Law and the workhouse.

Scarred by the death of his cousin in the First War, he was determined to ensure that another generation were spared the conflict that had engulfed their elders. Even so, he prepared for war while he worked for peace. The aircraft that won the Battle of Britain were built on his shift. He didn't win the Second War, but he ensured it wasn't lost in 1940.