'A gripping new political history of the countdown to 1939 ... Olson elegantly brings this political milieu to life' Guardian 'A sharp tribute to the unsung heroes of the rebellion ... Olson deserves credit for focusing on this knife-edge episode in our nation's history and for bringing alive some of the minor characters without whose collective determination Britain's war effort would have been severely retarded' Daily Express 'A fascinating story that Olson tells with great dash ... a spirited, propulsive work of popular history ... Olson vividly recreates the climate of suspicion and hostility that surrounded the troublesome young men, a tiny minority with a seemingly hopeless cause' New York Times 'Vivid and compelling' Washington Post