The process starts in June 1934 with efforts continuing right-up to the outbreak of the second world war in September 1939; with the addition of a further crucial commentary on the period from September 1939 through to May 1941. How wonderful, for instance, that when Sir Anthony Eden finally met Hitler (for one of the many coffees the book describes) his main observation concerned the quality of Hitler's tailoring. Daily Telegraph 'This engaging book offers a warning from history that remains terrifyingly relevant today.

Caroline Sanderson, Bookseller 'Charles Spicer reveals the bold attempt of a handful of British intelligence agents to infiltrate and civilise the Nazi hierarchy. The extraordinary story of three men, a Welsh historian and political secretary, a butterfly-collecting Old Etonian and a Great War fighter ace.The Oldie 'The extraordinary story of three men, a Welsh historian and political secretary, a butterfly-collecting Old Etonian and a Great War fighter ace. I could not recommend this book enough - not least because it reveals just how nuanced the whole subject of appeasement had become by1939. All this naturally supports the view of unsatisfactory outcome of the Treaty of Versailles and the effect on German social and economic state that ultimately led to the rise of the Nazis and the creation of the Third Reich. Importantly, the author has provided a reliable and strong backdrop on the positions of various nations including Russia, Austria, Czechoslavakia (now The Czech Republic), Italy, France, and Spain (who were themselves split through civil war during the same period). You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.

The second point is that the notes to the book are totally inadequate whether this is the author's fault or the publisher wishing to save space is not clear. Spicer’s book is a resounding success, retelling the fascinating history of the Anglo-German Fellowship.David Lloyd George (right, with Winston Churchill in 1922) became a key figure in the Anglo-German Fellowship. The central characters are Philip Conwell-Evans; Ernest Tennant OBE; Grahame Christie; and Sir Robert Vansittart. Instead, it lay somewhere between disinterest, snobbish, if inaccurate, contempt (“the man’s a house painter! This was accentuated by the accession of Edward VIII, a man who was described approvingly by Ribbentrop as “a kind of English National Socialist”. Above all else, the vignettes and anecdotes make the key characters so real that it's like being there with them.