In a partly-fictionalised account, this book recounts the dramatic story of the 1945 General Election – an event that, to the surprise of many, saw the decisive defeat of wartime hero Winston Churchill and the election of Britain’s first majority Labour government.

Drawing on a rich array of diaries, biographies, and autobiographies, it vividly brings to life the gripping personal and political dramas of key figures such as Churchill, Attlee, Morrison, Wilkinson, and Bevin – stories as compelling as any work of melodramatic fiction.

Innovatively, the book also makes extensive use of the Mass Observation Archive – including diaries, directives, and field reports – to capture the voices of ordinary people who watched the unfolding events with a mixture of awe, anticipation, and apprehension.