First to Fight

We tend to overlook "the war that Hitler won", but Roger Moorhouse brilliantly underlines its crucial importance for the future course of the Second World War. This deeply researched, very well-written and penetrating book will be the standard work on the subject for many years to come

Andrew Roberts, author of ‘Churchill: Walking with Destiny’

[A] chilling, indignant narrative… Moorhouse has expertly laid bare…[the] truth

Roger Boyes, The Times

Moorhouse’s book remedies that gap [in history of The Polish War], weaving together archival material, first-hand accounts, perceptive analysis and heartbreaking descriptions of Poland’s betrayal, defeat and dismemberment

Economist

[A] fascinating book… Moorhouse has mastered a large body of material… this is…a very valuable book, as it gathers a mass of detail into a lucid narrative for general readers

Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph

An important book. Roger Moorhouse has a wonderful knack of reminding us about the parts of the Second World War that we are in danger of forgetting

Dan Snow

[A] timely and authoritative book… Moorhouse… has trawled through an impressive quantity of unpublished Polish and German sources…to produce a balanced account of this much neglected yet important episode of the second world war which is both harrowing and inspiring

Adam Zamoyski, Spectator

A well-researched, riveting read

Alexander Watson, BBC History, *Books of the Year*

[A] very valuable addition to the literature on the outbreak of the Second World War… The great strength of this new account lies in the extensive use of Polish sources, all too often overlooked entirely when trying to piece together the history of the campaign... Moorhouse... admirably achieves his aim of putting the Polish-German war back onto the broader canvas of the Second World War

Richard Overy, History Today

Exemplary... as good as military history can be

Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny