Why England Slept, John F. Kennedy
Why England Slept, John F. Kennedy
List: $29.99 | Sale: $21.00
Club: $14.99

Why England Slept

Author: John F. Kennedy, Henry R. Luce

Narrator: AJ Crozby

Unabridged: 4 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/04/2024


Synopsis

“England made many mistakes; she is paying heavily for them now. In studying the reasons why England slept, let us try to profit by them and save ourselves her anguish.” – John F. Kennedy

In 1938, British statesman and soon-to-be Prime Minister Winston Churchill published his book Arms and the Covenant. It was published three months later in the United States under the title While England Slept; A Survey of World Affairs, 1932-1938.

In While England Slept, Churchill emphasized the United Kingdom's lack of military preparation to face the threat of  Nazi Germany's Anschluss and expansion, and argued against the appeasement policies of the British government, led by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who said "Peace for our time." The book spurred many English citizens to oppose the dovish philosophy of the Munich Agreement, and in doing so, Churchill singlehandedly changed the course of history.

In 1940, future President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, who was a senior at Harvard University, wrote his dissertation, criticizing Churchill’s harsh blame of England’s leaders, even drawing comparisons between England and the United States for its own similar lack of preparedness against the totalitarian Nazi regime.

Responding to Churchill's title, Kennedy named his book, Why England Slept.

Discover all of this and more in this deluxe original classic 1940 edition of the work that includes the original foreword by Henry R. Luce.

“To say that all the blame must rest on the shoulders of Neville Chamberlain or of Stanley Baldwin, is to overlook the obvious. As the leaders, they are, of course, gravely and seriously responsible. But, given the conditions of democratic government… it is unreasonable to blame the entire situation on one man or group.” – JFK

About John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) was president of the United States from 1961 to 1963. At forty-three, he was the youngest man ever elected to the Oval Office and the first Roman Catholic president.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Fergie on March 28, 2018

One of the reasons I've always felt a pull towards JFK is because, as a leader, he had a keen intellect and a profound sense & understanding of history. WHY ENGLAND SLEPT was written by the future 35th President of the United States as a historical thesis when he was a 22 years old Harvard student.......more

Goodreads review by Greg on March 22, 2014

Written, I assume in 1940, Kennedy's book examines the reasons why England was so slow to re-arm before WWII, with many quotations and facts and figures. He resists the temptation to lay all the blame on Baldwin or Chamberlain, but instead analyses the differences between a totalitarian state and a......more

Goodreads review by Chris on February 10, 2016

This is an extraordinary book not only because it was written as a college thesis by a future president but the lessons learned 75 years ago are still apt today. And not just as they relate to the international scene. JFK discusses how easy it is for a totalitarian regime to impose its will on a nat......more

Goodreads review by Sara on April 28, 2025

Although quite idealistic in some ways, this is an impressive look at what issues England faced in the years leading into WWII. Kennedy wrote with a sharp sense of what it takes to maintain a free world within the complexities of capitalism and amidst threats of dictatorships, totalitarian regimes,......more

Goodreads review by Sheik on March 30, 2009

JFK wrote this when he was in Harvard.....gives quite a glimpse into one of the best minds ever to be in the oval office. Too bad w can't read , maybe this would have helped him some!......more