An Unofficial 'The MeatEater Podcast' Reading List

623. The Nazis at War: Churchill’s Finest Hour (Part 4)

December 04, 2025

Description

With Adolf Hitler at the apex of his power during the Second World War, how did he move on Britain? How did Winston Churchill respond? And, would Britain’s airforce triumph over Hitler’s Luftwaffe...
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Books Referenced

The War in the West

Author: James Holland

Context:

Dominic references his brother James Holland's book when discussing German girls' frustration with only brown clothes being available in shops before plunder from Paris arrived, and German soldiers bringing back plundered goods from Paris

Hitler: 1936-1945 Nemesis

Author: Ian Kershaw

Context:

Referenced multiple times as Kershaw's biography of Hitler, discussing topics including British public opinion after Munich, Hitler's attitude toward England, Hitler's strategic thinking about attacking the Soviet Union, and Hitler's views on Franco

The Third Reich in Power

Author: Richard Evans

Context:

Cited when discussing how Nazi propaganda affected ordinary Germans' beliefs about Britain being warmongers

Finest Years: Churchill as Warlord 1940-45

Author: Max Hastings

Context:

Referenced as having written books on Churchill and the Second World War, cited regarding Churchill's strategic use of invasion rhetoric to motivate British public and how Hitler's bombing campaign was counterproductive

Britain's War Machine

Author: David Edgerton

Context:

Tom describes it as 'a revelatory book' and 'completely eye-opening' regarding Britain's industrial capacity and technological superiority during WWII

The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain

Author: Stephen Bungay

Context:

Dominic describes it as 'a brilliant book on the Battle of Britain' and quotes from it regarding German lieutenant Hans Otto Lessing's letters to his parents