No one doubts that appeasement failed, but Phillipsshows that it caused active harm -- even sabotaging Britain's preparations forwar. He goes far further than previous historians in identifying theindividuals responsible for a catalogue of miscalculations, deviousness andmoral surrender that made the Second World War inevitable, and highlights thealternative policies that might have prevented it. Featuring new revelationsabout the personalities involved and the shameful manipulations andbetrayals that went into appeasement, including an attempt to buy Hitler offwith a ruthless colonialist deal in Africa, FightingChurchill, Appeasing Hitler shines a compelling and original light on oneof the darkest hours in British diplomatic history.