"As long as the English tongue survives, the word 'Dunkirk' will be spoken with reverence."-The New York Times, June 2, 1940. A gripping account of the most famous military defeat and retreat in history-and an epic story of escape against the odds. During the dark days of May 1940, young British soldiers equipped with little more than rifles took on the might of Hitler's panzer divisions...and held them while Allied armies crumbled on all sides. Absolutely stirring.