Winner of the 2017 Prix Goncourt
Éric Vuillard's gripping novel The Order of the Day tells the story of the pivotal meetings which took place between the European powers in the run-up to World War Two. What emerges is a fascinating and incredibly moving account of failed diplomacy, broken relationships, and the catastrophic momentum which led to conflict.
The titans of German industry - set to prosper under the Nazi government - gather to lend their support to Adolf Hitler. The Austrian Chancellor realizes too late that he has wandered into a trap, as Hitler delivers the ultimatum that will lay the groundwork for Germany's annexation of Austria. Winston Churchill joins Neville Chamberlain for a farewell luncheon held in honour of Joachim von Ribbentrop: German Ambassador to England, soon to be Foreign Minister in the Nazi government, and future defendant at the Nuremberg trials.
Suffused with dramatic tension, this unforgettable novel tells the tragic story of how the actions of a few powerful men brought the world to the brink of war.
THE MOOD IN THE ROOM.
THE AMBITION IN THE AIR.
THE TRAGEDY IN THE MAKING.
WWII. CURTAIN-UP.
'A book whose staggering power lies in its simplicity'
Le Monde
'A powerful story you read in one go, with astonishment and dread'
La Presse
From effect to the cause, from disaster to the most absurd machinations . . . Vuillard chooses his images with a deliberate intelligence. For him, "great catastrophes often creep up in tiny steps" So he installs himself backstage, sifts through the remains, raises the ghosts . . .
