In May 1940, with France on the verge of defeat, Britain alone stood in the path of the Nazi military juggernaut. Survival seemed to hinge on the leadership of Winston Churchill, whom the King reluctantly appointed Prime Minister as Germany invaded France. Churchills reputation as one of the great twentieth-century leaders would be forged during the coming months and years, as he worked tirelessly first to rally his country and then to defeat Hitler. But Churchillregarded as the savior of his nation, and of the entire continentcould not have done it alone.As prize-winning historian Jonathan Schneer reveals in Ministers at War, Churchill depended on a team of powerful ministers to manage the war effort as he rallied a beleaguered nation. Selecting men from across the political spectrumfrom fellow Conservative Anthony Eden to leader of the opposing socialist Labor Party Clement AttleeChurchill assembled a War Cabinet that balanced competing interests and bolstered support for his national coalition government.
