Allies at War

A masterful diplomatic history of the second world war… packed with fresh detail and gossipy anecdotes * Economist, Books of the Year *Can anything new be said about the Second World War? Unexpectedly the answer is yes … [Allies at War] provides new perspectives on subjects that seemed familiar … Bouverie’s first book, Appeasing Hitler … was a dazzling debut. Allies at War fully confirms the promise shown by its predecessor – Adam Sisman * Observer *Impeccably researched, elegantly written and compellingly argued – Saul David * The Times *A new star is born. The British firmament of modern political and military history is already a glittering one, but established names must now make way for a new companion, Tim Bouverie. His first book, Appeasing Hitler, was a deserved success. His second, Allies at War, proves that his debut was no flash in the pan … [A] powerful and well-researched book – William Waldegrave * Independent *A major work of original history that is a pleasure to read … This is a compelling and highly readable book that provides a mass of new and fascinating detail about the Allies in the Second World War. Tim Bouverie has produced a masterpiece – Richard J Evans * New Statesman *Ambitiously all-encompassing … agreeably witty … with vivid pen portraits … [an] extremely timely book – Andrew Roberts * Telegraph 5 STARS *[A] terrific new book … Bouverie is a historian with an exceptional command of his subject, and there is much to learn from his book * Daily Mail, Book of the Week *Bouverie … delivers a brilliant blow-by-blow account of the twists and turns of high-stakes diplomacy that were every bit as vital as the battles fought and won in the field when it came to victory. This is a landmark history book filled with fabulous facts that reads like a thriller * Daily Mirror *[A] meticulous, scholarly and highly enjoyable history of the second world war – Caroline Moorehead * Spectator *A sweeping, fast-paced narrative of one of the great turning points of the 20th century. Deeply researched yet highly readable – David Reynolds, author of Mirrors of GreatnessA grand sweep of history - a brilliant narrative – Antony Beevor, author of RussiaThis is an astonishing piece of scholarship and one that could not be more timely. Compellingly told, immensely wide-ranging and utterly fascinating, Allies at War brilliantly and perceptively tells the incredibly complex relationship of the Allies and coalition nations that led to victory in 1945 but ultimately to the start of a new global rivalry still being felt to this day. Superb – James Holland, author of Cassino ‘44Allies at War cements Tim Bouverie’s reputation as one of the most talented young historians we have. Magisterial in scope, shrewd in its judgements, well-written and often amusing, Allies at War is the best book I have ever read about the politics of the Second World War. It is a book I wish I had written – Tim Shipman, author of No Way OutExcellent. Extremely well-researched, wide-ranging and absorbing – Halik Kochanski, author of ResistanceTim Bouverie has an uncanny ability to dive deeper than most into the swirling currents of history … He reveals the insecurities, self-deceptions and tangled lies that were part of the Allied cause, alongside the personal dramas and extraordinary courage of its three great leaders. This is the story of a war of wills – it is magnificent! – Michael Dobbs, author of Winston’s WarThere is so much that is new in this compelling and fluently crafted story. The extent of Tim Bouverie’s original research is extraordinary and allows him to take the reader into the most intriguing and little known corners of the world at war – Barney White-Spunner, author of BerlinA brilliant book that shows how an imperfect alliance of resistance was the only reason Hitler and his associates did not win World War II. Essential reading for understanding the history of the past century, with significant implications for our own times – OA Westad, Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs, Yale UniversitySweeping in scope and expertly crafted, Bouverie delivers a grand contribution to a titanic subject – Catherine Katz, author of The Daughters of YaltaTim Bouverie has done a remarkable thing: he has found a novel and illuminating way to tell the story of World War II, and in so doing has given us an important and timely study of the centrality and the complexity of alliances. This is a terrific book – Jon Meacham, author of And There Was LightIn Allies at War, Tim Bouverie fully lives up to the dazzling reputation he won with Appeasing Hitler. Again, he combines depth of research shrewdness of judgement and lightness of touch. The result is an absorbing read as well as a major work of history, illuminating the drama and complexity of modern history’s greatest and yet most troubled alliance – Robert Tombs, author of The Sovereign IsleTim Bouverie made a name for himself as a rising star of history with his accomplished first book, Appeasing Hitler. His new book is equally fascinating. I’ve been reading Allies at War while President Trump has been trashing long-standing relationships. The book, full of vignettes and fascinating nuggets, is a good reminder of how hard it was to build an alliance against Hitler – Robbie Millen, Literary Editor, The Times & Sunday TimesBouverie’s focus on diplomatic history is to be applauded, as is his achievement in creating a fast-paced narrative that offers firm judgements yet gives readers leeway to draw their own conclusions * BBC History Magazine *Exceedingly well-written and wide-ranging… a tour de force of thick description, infinite anecdotes and clearsighted analysis – Omer Bartov * Times Literary Supplement *Enthralling and authoritative … deeply researched and gracefully written * Wall Street Journal *[Allies at War is] full of fascinating nuggets, character sketches and peppery judgments * Sunday Times, Summer Reads of 2025 *An unusually talented writer, one of the most promising young historians to enter our field for years – Max Hastings, British journalist and military historianA brilliant and sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian … An account of the build up to the Second World War that reads like a thriller. I couldn’t put it down – Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk RoadsA fascinating and scholarly portrait … this is the reporting of history at its best – Caroline Moorehead, human rights journalistQuite simply, the best book to have appeared on this whole subject – Sir Noel Malcolm, journalistAppeasing Hitler is the stunning debut of a major new narrative historian. A riveting and depressing story which has resonance today as the democracies again face dictatorships – Professor Margaret Macmillan, historianTim Bouverie tells the story of appeasement with skill, verve and panache, using contemporary accounts to great effect in exploring the mentalities that lay behind the political decisions – Ian Kershaw, historian[A] masterful new diplomatic history of the war * Economist *Tim Bouverie has clearly done his research, though he doesn’t let this overwhelm his narrative, which is consistently lucid, entertaining and witty * The Week *[A] splendid history of the World War II alliance … One of the many virtues of this insightful book is how it demonstrates the complexity of wartime diplomacy among the ‘Big Three’ * Foreign Affairs *[A] work of extraordinary power and scholarship… history at its finest… It should be essential reading in No 10 and, above all, the White House – Lord Black * Politics Home *

Tim Bouverie is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller Appeasing Hitler- Chamberlain Churchill and the Road to War, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. He studied history at Christ Church, Oxford and was the 2020-21 Alistair Horne Fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford.

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