Next month I’m heading to London for a few days, so the title of this book it jumped out at me. Five Days in London: May 1940 is a detailed account of a critical time in world history. Winston Churchill has just been elected, the British forces are trapped at Dunkirk, and the outcome of World War II is very much in question.

You might think that this era has been covered enough. I hear you. World War II books can be overdone.

But author John Lukacs does something I wish more history writers would do: he goes into the details and recreates the moment. Rather than a broad approach that creates a powerful narrative, this style of book fleshes out the fascinating little things that make history come alive. Just for instance, have you ever wondered what the newspaper headline was the day Dunkirk was abandoned? Or what the BBC was broadcasting when the French surrendered? Or how Churchill managed to get so many meetings stuffed into one day? If what you want is that kind of detail, here’s a great book for you.

Obviously this isn’t a mass appeal book. But it’s still a fun read. And it should make my visit to London that much richer.