Shakespeare - Six minutes in may: how Churchill unexpectedly became prime minister

Fiction

The Vision of Elena Silves

The High Flyer

The Dancer Upstairs

Snowleg

Secrets of the Sea

Inheritance

Stories from Other Places

Non-Fiction

Bruce Chatwin

In Tasmania

Priscilla

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Epub ISBN: 9781473521711

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Copyright Nicholas Shakespeare 2017
Cover photographs Getty Images

Nicholas Shakespeare has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this Work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Map of the Norway Campaign by William Donohoe

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First published by Harvill Secker in 2017

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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

TO JOHN HATT

Strange that we do not fully realise mens characters while they are alive.

NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN , 27 February 1918

. My dearest Baba, Halifax to Alexandra Metcalfe author photo

. Geoffrey Shakespeare and Lloyd George c. 1921 private collection

. Giles Romilly Edmund Romilly collection

. Altmark in Jssingfjorden, February 1940 Geirr Haarr collection

. Man on torpedo, Narvik Narvik War Museum

. HMS Hardy, April 1940 Geirr Haarr collection

. Peter Fleming, 1940 private collection

. Fleming and Lindsay landing in Namsos, 14 April 1940 Municipal Museum, Namsos

. Sir Martin Alexander Lindsay of Dowhill, 7 September 1936 Bassano Ltd National Portrait Gallery, London

. Chamberlain on Andros, c. 1891 Francis Chamberlain collection

. Workman on Andros Francis Chamberlain collection

. One of Chamberlains sisal-stuffed birds author photo

. Norman Chamberlain Francis Chamberlain collection

. Halifax haymaking at Garrowby Alexandra Metcalfes photograph album, private collection

. Alexandra Metcalfe AMs photograph album

. Dorchester Hotel brochure Anne de Courcy collection

. Halifax composing speech for Norway Debate at Little Compton, 5 May 1940 AMs photograph album

. Namsosed Geirr Haarr collection

. Admiralty Board, 1939 private collection

. Leo Amery All Souls College, Oxford

. Clement Davies Liberal Democratic News/Liberal Party archives

. Lindsay Memorandum, April 1940 author photo

. Speaker Edward FitzRoy Parliamentary Archives

. Leo Amery [?] speaking on 7 May 1940 John Moore-Brabazon RAF Museum

. David Margessons order for three-line whip author photo

. Sandglass for the division author photo

. Division vote in the Clerks minutes book author photo

. Lord Halifax All Souls College, Oxford

. Halifax & WSC at the British Embassy in Washington, 1941 AMs photograph album

. Charles Peakes diary account of 9 May 1940 author photo

. Chamberlain diary entry for 10 May 1940 author photo

. Tom Fowler and Torlaug Werstad at Krogs Farm, 2010 Paul Kiddell

. Steinkjer memorial Paul Kiddell

. Chamberlain tribute, November 1940 author photo

. WSC outside 10 Downing Street, 10 May 1940 IWM (HU 83283)

Neville Chamberlain Prime Minister

Edward Wood, Lord Halifax Foreign Secretary

Sir John Simon (Liberal National) Chancellor of the Exchequer

Winston Churchill First Lord of the Admiralty

Sir Samuel Hoare Secretary of State for Air

Oliver Stanley Secretary of State for War

Sir Kingsley Wood Lord Privy Seal

Maurice Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey Minister without Portfolio

Sir Edward Bridges Secretary to the War Cabinet

Lieutenant General Sir Ian Jacob Military Assistant to the War Cabinet

General Sir Edmund Ironside Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS)

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound First Sea Lord

Air Marshal Sir Cyril Newall Chief of the Air Staff

Major General Hastings Ismay Churchills Chief of Staff (since 1 May)

Sir Anthony Eden Secretary of State for Dominions

Sir John Reith (Independent) Secretary of State for Information

Euan Wallace Secretary of State for Transport

Frederick Marquis, Lord Woolton Secretary of State for Food

Harry Crookshank Financial Secretary to the Treasury

Robert Bernays (National Liberal) Parliamentary Secretary, Transport

Geoffrey Shakespeare (National Liberal) Parliamentary Secretary, Dominions (since 2 April)

Captain Edward FitzRoy Speaker

Sir Dennis Herbert Deputy Speaker

Sir Horace Wilson Permanent Secretary to the Treasury

Captain David Margesson Government Chief Whip

Sir Arthur Rucker Principal Private Secretary to Chamberlain

John Colville Junior Private Secretary to Chamberlain

Alec Douglas-Home, Lord Dunglass Parliamentary Private Secretary to Chamberlain

Sir Joseph Ball political adviser to Chamberlain

Sir Alexander Cadogan Permanent Under-Secretary

Richard (Rab) Butler Parliamentary Under-Secretary

Henry (Chips) Channon Parliamentary Private Secretary to Butler

Valentine Lawford Private Secretary to Halifax (until December 1940)

Charles Peake Head of News Department (and Private Secretary to Halifax from 1941)

Sir Alexander Hardinge Private Secretary to George VI

Leo Amery

Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor

Brendan Bracken

Bob Boothby

Harold Macmillan