A story of unsung bravery at a defining moment in Britain's history

A STORY OF UNSUNG BRAVERY AT A DEFINING MOMENT IN BRITAIN'S HISTORY 'Superb' Stephen Fry 'Thrillingly told' Dan Jones 'Fascinating' Neil MacGregor 'Astonishing' Peter Frankopan We like to think we know the story of how Britain went to war with Germany in 1939, but there is one chapter that has never been told. In the early 1930s, a group of young, queer British MPs visited Berlin on a series of trips that would change the course of the Second World War. Having witnessed the Nazis' brutality first-hand, these men were some of the first to warn Britain about Hitler, repeatedly speaking out against their government’s policy of appeasing him. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain hated them. Branding them ‘the glamour boys’ to insinuate something untoward about them, he had their phones tapped and threatened them with deselection and exposure. At a time when even the suggestion of homosexuality could land you in prison, the bravery these men were forced to show in their personal lives gave them extraordinary courage in public. Undaunted, they refused to be silenced and when war came, they enlisted. Four of them died in action. And without them, Britain would never have faced down the Nazis. A Guardian Book of Autumn 2020

"In The Glamour Boys, Chris Bryant sets out to bring to light the remarkable and in some cases heroic contribution of gay MPs to Britain’s involvement in the Second World War . . . They are largely unknown. Not any longer, it is to be hoped: [Bryant] has done them honour . . . He has handled the difficult form of group biography skilfully, using a great deal of never before published material, and introducing us to a number of little known figures" - Guardian

"Bryant’s biggest achievement is in uncovering the stories of four almost forgotten men . . . Groundbreaking" - Evening Standard

"A sprightly biography . . . Bryant invests his forgotten cast with heroism, proof of the grit, determination, bravery and resourcefulness lurking behind exteriors frequently written off as “flamboyant”’" - Telegraph

"You can't deal with today's injustices without knowing how we got here in the first place . . . This is fascinating, authoritative and radical history at its best" - Owen Jones on 'Entitled'

"Magnificent . . . Chris Bryant is a fine historian" - Express on 'Parliament: The Biography'

"Admirably comprehensive . . . And written in the kind of lucid, elegant prose now rarely associated with our elected representatives" - New Statesman