On the evening of May 10, 1940, as Germany launched devastating attacks on Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, Winston Churchill was driven to Buckingham Palace. Churchill, then first lord of the Admiralty, had been summoned by King George VI. Although the king distrusted Churchill because of earlier political conflicts and Churchill’s past support for Edward VIII, the crisis forced a decision about Britain’s leadership.

The summons followed a political collapse triggered by Britain’s failed Norway campaign. Neville Chamberlain’s government survived a confidence vote numerically, but the reduced margin exposed how much support he had lost. Chamberlain first considered staying on, then, after opponents refused to serve under him, accepted that he had to resign. Lord Halifax was widely seen as the safer alternative to Churchill, but Halifax did not want the premiership, and Chamberlain ultimately recommended Churchill to the king.

King George VI accepted Chamberlain’s resignation and then asked Churchill to form a government. Churchill accepted. Back at Admiralty House, Churchill told Detective Inspector Walter Thompson what had happened. Both men recognized the scale of the danger facing Britain, and Churchill soberly admitted that the change might have come too late, even as he felt inwardly exalted by having reached the role for which he believed his whole life had prepared him.

Late that night, Churchill reflected that he finally had authority over the whole war effort and believed Britain could endure under his leadership. He also understood that ultimate victory would require the United States, especially President Franklin D. Roosevelt, because Britain alone could hold out but not guarantee Hitler’s final defeat. At the same time, the chapter shows the burdens surrounding Churchill’s ascent: financial troubles, his son Randolph’s reckless behavior, wartime restrictions, and the irritations of daily life. A brief encounter with a whistling newsboy illustrates Churchill’s volatility and his ability to recover his humor almost immediately.