The Last Ditch

Book excerpt: An analysis of World War II German and British plans that were in place if the Nazi forces had successfully managed to invade mainland Britain in 1940. In 1940 Britain faced its biggest threat since the Spanish Armada. Hitler’s invasion plans were in full swing, and Britain had to quickly assemble a secret resistance force. This compelling study reveals the intentions of both sides, from Hitler’s strategies for Operation Sea Lion and subsequent occupation, to Britain’s secret plans for resistance. German decrees show that the occupation would have been severe, with mass deportation for all able-bodied men as well as widespread arrests, as revealed in the notorious Gestapo Arrest List. In telling this story Lampe relates one of World War II’s best kept secrets and offers insight into what would have been a brutal future. Originally published in 1968, The Last Ditch remains the authoritative work on this subject and features interviews with key players who lived through the action. “An extremely good read. I was enthralled by the book as an undergraduate and twenty-five years later I reread it with much pleasure.” —Gary Sheffield, Professor of War Studies, University of Birmingham, from the foreword