Six Moments of Crisis

Gill Bennett, MA, OBE was Chief Historian of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office from 1995-2005, and Senior Editor of the UK's official history of British foreign policy, Documents on British Policy Overseas. As a historian working in government for over thirty years, she offered historical advice to twelve Foreign Secretaries under six Prime Ministers. A specialist in the history of secret intelligence, she was part of the research team working on the official history of the Secret Intelligence Service, written by Professor Keith Jeffery and published in 2010. She is now involved in a range of research, writing and training projects for various government departments.

• Introduction: Challenging History: what it means and how to do it ; 1. Challenging Communism: Britain sends land forces to Korea, July 1950 ; 2. Challenging Nasser: the Suez crisis, July 1956 ; 3. Challenging de Gaulle: Britain applies to join the EEC, July 1961 ; 4. Challenging Britain's world role: the decision to withdraw from East of Suez, January 1968 ; 5. Challenging the KGB: Operation FOOT, September 1971 ; 6. Challenging the Argentines: Britain sends a task force to the Falklands, April 1982 ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Gill Bennett possesses a very special gift. She can make old documents live and breathe. In this fine study she takes us into Number 10 and the Cabinet room and we are literally transported - we can see and hear the people, feel the tension, and hear the arguments.