This study of the origins of World War II, is controversial in that it sees Chamberlain as neither naive nor foolish. John Charmley, whose prize-winning first work was Duff Cooper, employs the collective biography technique to reassess Chamberlain's role. He works from the papers of Lord Halifax, R.A.B.Butler and Chamberlain himself, and also pays particular attention to the roles of Eden, Churchill and Sir Nevile Henderson.