Why England Slept is the published version of a thesis written by John F. Kennedy while in his senior year at Harvard College. Published in 1940, the book examines the failures of the British government to take steps to prevent World War II and is notable for its uncommon stance of not castigating the appeasement policy of the British government at the time, instead suggesting that an earlier confrontation between Britain and Nazi Germany could well have been more disastrous in the long run. One could consider these to be bold words given that at the time of writing the German army was sweeping across Europe and appeared near-invincible.

The book was originally intended to be no more than a college thesis and is not considered to be particularly well written (it was rated as a magna cum laude by Professor Henry A. Yeomans and as a cum laude plus by Professor Carl J. Friedrich). However, Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., always keen to elevate his sons' reputation for future political standing, pulled strings with his publishing contacts to secure its release.

Its title was an allusion to Winston Churchill's 1938 book While England Slept, which also examined the buildup of German power.

1940 books | Political books | Works by heads of state or government