Searching for Lord Haw-Haw: The Political Lives of William Joyce

Description

Searching for Lord Haw-Haw is an authoritative account of the political lives of William Joyce. He became notorious as a fascist, an anti-Semite and then as a Second World War traitor when, assuming the persona of Lord Haw-Haw, he acted as a radio propagandist for the Nazis. It is an endlessly compelling story of simmering hope, intense frustration, renewed anticipation and ultimately catastrophic failure. This fully-referenced work is the first attempt to place Joyce at the centre of the turbulent, traumatic and influential events through which he lived. It challenges existing biographies, which have reflected not only Joyce’s frequent calculated deceptions but also the suspect claims advanced by his family, friends and apologists. By exploring his rampant, increasingly influential narcissism it also offers a pioneering analysis of Joyce’s personality and exposes its dangerous, destructive consequences. "What a saga my life would make!" Joyce wrote from prison just before his execution. Few would disagree with him. Preface Introduction PART I: IDENTITIES 1. Early Life 2. A New Beginning PART II: IDEOLOGIES 3. Joyce and the British Fascists 4. Marching with Mosley 5. Deeper into Fascist Politics 6. The Gods in Conflict 7. The National Socialist League 8. Worshippers of Hitler 9. Nazi Germany Beckons PART III: SPEAKING 10. Another New Life. A Servant of the Third Reich 11. A Radio Star 12. The Great Gamble 13. The Beginning of the End 14. History’s Loser 15. Kameradschaft PART IV: CONNECTING 16. Joyce, Haw-Haw and British Opinion 1939-1945 17. Berlin Calling. Calling Berlin PART V: RETRIBUTION 18. The Reckoning Begins 19. Joyce on Trial 20. The Scent of Death was in the Air 21. Last Days in Prison 22. The Treatment of Renegades PART VI: JUDGEMENTS 23. Perspectives PART VII: EPILOGUE 24. ‘Life’ after Death