It questions the commonly held belief that the Allies wanted to avoid the war at all costs but were forced into action by Adolf Hitler's aggression.

It consists largely of official government transcripts, newspaper articles, and other documents from the time, with Baker only occasionally interjecting commentary.

"[4] Christopher Hitchens accused Baker of ahistoricism and wrote that numerous passages in the book served as a reminder of how "fatuous the pacifist position can sound, or indeed can be.

"[5] Louis Menand wrote that each of Baker's themes is a "legitimate matter of debate" but criticized the selective use of primary sources as a "tabloid technique" of emotional manipulation.

Irish novelist Colm Toibin wrote in his New York Times review that "the issues Baker wishes to raise, and the stark system he has used to dramatize his point, make his book a serious and conscientious contribution to the debate about pacifism.