• Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Map of constituencies in the Northern Area; Introduction; North Area Chairman: November 1935 to August 1937; Appeasement and Munich: September 1937 to October 1938; The approach of war: November 1938 to August 1939; The phoney war: September 1939 to May 1940; Return to Parliament: May to October 1940; Winston's war: October 1940 to June 1941; The invasion of Russia: June to December 1941; Dark days: December 1941 to May 1942; 'As bad as ever': May to October 1942; The tide begins to turn: November 1942 to May 1943; The Allies advance: May to December 1943; The Second Front: January to September 1944; The revival of party politics: September 1944 to March 1945; Labour landslide: March to October 1945, May to July 1946; Opposition and crisis: January to July 1947; Reshaping the Party: July to December 1947; The Cold War: January to July 1948; Waiting for the Tory revival: January 1949 to June 1949; Devaluation and deselection: June 1949 to February 1950; The last Parliament: March to May 1950, January to February 1951.

'The diaries nevertheless make major contributions in particular areas. The treatment of constituency politics is fascinating.' Twentieth Century British History