부산대학교 도서관

Despite many revisionist historical monographs, the popular interpretation of the origins of WW II is still dominated by Winston Churchill’s assertion that Hitler could have been deterred had Neville Chamberlain not engaged in a policy of appeasement. Peden’s contribution to this historiography is to juxtapose a close reading of the diplomatic sources with analysis of the structural strengths and weaknesses of the British economy as they related to rearmament. The result is not a revolutionary reinterpretation, but rather a more nuanced reading of what could realistically have been accomplished in the lead-up to September 1939. Peden (Univ. of Stirling, UK) argues that while Chamberlain was prone to hubris—such as believing his interpretation of the international order was superior to that of professional diplomats and thinking dictators like Hitler or Mussolini were rational actors—he nonetheless placed British rearmament on a firm footing by the end of 1938. Although the detailing of inter-governmental activities can sometimes bog down readers, one of the book's virtues is Peden’s ability to engage with counterfactual scenarios, for example comparing what Churchill might have done given the same structural constraints. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty.