xxviii, 252 pages ; 22 cm

An appraisal of the tragic events of the thirties that led to World War II, giving an account of England's unpreparedness for war and a study of the short-commings of democracy when confronted by the menace of totalitarism

"Written when John F. Kennedy was a senior at Harvard and published in 1940, Why England Slept is a brilliant appraisal of the tragic events of the thirties that led to World War II: it is an electrifying account of England's unpreparedness for war and a sober and serious study of the shortcomings of democracy when confronted by the menace of totalitarianism. Many of John Kennedy's most impressionable years were spent in London, where he was able to study at first-hand the epoch-making events of this crucial period before World War II. His remarkably mature interpretations of these days provide a startling chapter in modern history. In Why England Slept, the author discusses democracy versus dictatorship, the psychology of a nation's people, defense expenditures, disarmament and rearmament, appeasement, pacifism, the role of capitalism in England's unpreparedness, and the penalty of Munich--among other things. Many of the ideas he expresses here are extremely relevant today. Alarming in their implications and perhaps even prophetic in their interpretations, the conclusions presented by Kennedy, the college senior, are those of a keen student of international relations. When this book first appeared in 1940, the New York Times called it 'a notable textbook for our times.' The Wall Street Journal called it 'required reading for all who are sincerely concerned with maintenance of our institutions.' The Christian Science Monitor called it a 'sober, reliable, straightforward analysis of Great Britain's slowness in rearming to meet the Nazi menace.' Long out of print, Why England Slept has been re-published by popular demand."--Dust jacket of 1961 reprint

Reprint. Originally published: 1940

Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-252)

Part one: Period of disarmament policy. Certain fundamental beliefs of the British regarding armaments ; Influence of the financial crisis on armaments, 1931-32 ; Influence of the General Disarmament Conference and the Pacifist movement on British armaments, 1933 ; Beginnings of the shift from disarmament to rearmament, 1934 ; Influence of the general election--final phase of disarmament -- Part two: Period of rearmament policy. The launching of the rearmament program, 1936 ; Slowness of fulfillment of the program, 1936 ; The penalty--Munich 1938 ; The aftermath--Britain awakens -- Part three: Conclusion. America's lesson

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