"This is history as it should be written: as page-turning and compelling as the best thriller, rich in human drama yet deeply researched and authoritative... superbly told with compassion, edge-of-seat tension and the deftness of a master story-teller." ― James Holland

"One the toughest decisions Churchill was forced to make. Abel Smith takes us right into the heart of the drama... Minute by minute chances slip away, and pride, fate and war collide. Utterly gripping." ― Al Murray

"In war, the worst is not killing the enemy but someone in the way. Read this astonishing book on Churchill's darkest hour." ― John Sweeney

"A Hateful Decision reads like a thriller and is based on a mass of meticulous and original research. An invaluable contribution to the history of the Second World War." ― Jonathan Dimbleby

'Meticulously researched and written with panache, A Hateful Decision sheds new light on one of the most compelling yet least known dramas of the Second World War. Authoritative and revelatory - a must read.’ ― Giles Milton

"Edward Abel Smith brilliantly highlights the often excruciating decisions made by Churchill, the Government and the Royal Navy to protect Britain in 1940. A Hateful Decision is a gripping tale of Britain’s determination to fight on." ― Andrew Chatterton

"A simply fant­astic book. Impec­cably well re­searched and writ­ten ... full of insight, and a reward­ing page-turner." ― History of War