World War II by
Readers can delve into 7 events that defined the 20th century. Each volume probes the beginning of major world events, identifies contributing factors for their occurrence, and examines their global impact. Eyewitness accounts and quotes from speeches and documents deliver fascinating first hand information.
A World at Arms by
Widely hailed as a masterpiece, this is the first history of World War II to provide a truly global account of the war that encompassed six continents. Starting with the changes that restructured Europe and her colonies following the First World War, Gerhard Weinberg sheds new light on every aspect of World War II. Actions of the Axis, the Allies, and the Neutrals are covered in every theater of the war. More importantly, the global nature of the war is examined, with new insights into how events in one corner of the world helped affect events in other distant parts. In a new edition, with a new preface, A World at Arms remains a classic of global history.
World War II: a Very Short Introduction by
The enormous loss of life and physical destruction caused by the First World War led people to hope that there would never be another such catastrophe. How then did it come to be that there was a Second World War causing twiceas much loss of life and more destruction than any other previous conflict? In this Very Short Introduction, Gerhard L. Weinberg provides an introduction to the origins, course, and impact of the war on those who fought and the ordinary citizens who lived through it. Starting by looking at the inter-war years and the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, he examines how the war progressed by examining a number of key events, including the war in the West in 1940, Barbarossa, the German Invasion of the Soviet Union, the expansion of Japan's war with China, developments on the home front, and the Allied victory from 1944-45. Exploring the costs and effects of the war, Weinberg concludes by considering the long-lasting mark World War II has left on society today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
World War II Dispatches to Akron by
On his twenty-sixth horrifying mission over the hostile skies of Nazi Europe, a charismatic bombardier, seated at the nose of a B-17, strapped on his parachute as his disintegrating bomber dropped uncontrollably to the ground. What got him to this point, the ensuing months behind barbed wire and his daily letters written to his family in Akron, Ohio, makes for an emotionally intense memoir. This is the true account of a single unknown individual who stands in for the unsung warriors of the greatest generation during World War II.
A Companion to World War II by
A Companion to World War II brings together a series offresh academic perspectives on World War II, exploring the manycultural, social, and political contexts of the war. Essay topicsrange from American anti-Semitism to the experiences ofFrench-African soldiers, providing nearly 60 new contributions tothe genre arranged across two comprehensive volumes. A collection of original historiographic essays that includecutting-edge research Analyzes the roles of neutral nations during the war Examines the war from the bottom up through the experiences ofdifferent social classes Covers the causes, key battles, and consequences of thewar
The War for World Power by
Originally published in 1940, "[T]his book is an attempt to provide a survey of the war that will commend itself to the majority of intelligent readers as giving the significant events of that great struggle. I have not attempted to give a detailed story even where, for certain reasons, it would have been possible to do so. Long detailed accounts are certain to appear sooner or later and find their level; but no such record could appear at present, and what it is possible to publish must be arbitrary and selective. "The same is true, of course, of the present book, but here it is the essence of the design and not the result of lack of material. There are numerous episodes which, however simple in their lines, simply bristle with the sort of detail that heartens and inspires. There are others which have from their nature an isolated and hidden character. There were battles in Poland which certainly cannot find a fully detailed record yet and may never achieve one. Like the manoeuvres of the French Meuse Army in May, they were moulded into a number of engagements with no precise form or locus, so that it was possible for a Commander rejoining his troops to step from a tank into the midst of Germans. Such battles appear to have resembled the guerilla tactic of distant wars rather than the formal clashes of recent history. "Such warfare does not lend itself easily to detailed description unless one should be content to describe the confusion without the thread. In any case that kind of story has little interest for me and I think what many wish to discover is how the parts of this moving design fit together and what role they played in the unfolding picture." Richly illustrated throughout with maps.
World War II by
Lingering resentments from the First World War, economic unease, and the sweeping racist agenda of Germany's Nazi Party are just some of the many factors that shaped the trajectory of the Second World War. This far-reaching volume examines the major battles, events, and agreements of World War II, the Final Solution, and the legacy of the war from political and diplomatic angles. Readers will learn how European imperialism, American isolationism, the German policy of Anschluss, and much more impacted global approaches to the war and how the boundaries determined by postwar agreements have influenced the geopolitical landscape of today.
World War II in Photographs by
Distills the very best of the Imperial War Museum's remarkable and vast photographic collection. This features many unseen images of the war, covering all theatres of operation and including the work of such reknowned photographers as Cecil Beaton and Bill Brandt.
World War II Day by Day by
Learn about the world-shattering events as they happened-day by day, week by week-as if you were reading a contemporary newspaper. Uncover the motivations of traitors and collaborators and experience the great battles. Follow the conflict as it unfolds in detailed timelines and discover more about the key figures of the Allied and Axis powers in a comprehensive, illustrated Who's Who. From the secret war waged by spymasters and code breakers to the courageous stories of partisans and resistance fighters, this book is an indispensable guide to understanding the second World War.
World War II in Numbers by
A different way to understand the magnitude of World War II. Countless books exist about the Second World War and in those can be found all of the statistics to be had: numbers killed, bombs dropped, battles won and lost, ad infinitum. But to see these numbers as infographics gives the reader a fresh perspective on the war. World War II in Numbers uses color graphics and succinct text to tell the key stories of the battles that engulfed the globe and affected virtually everyone alive during the 1940s. To see the war set out in numbers tells the story with a new certainty: how the Polish Home Army carried out more than 700,000 acts of sabotage the large number of Japanese lost in the Pacific War how Allied tanks stood up to the armor-piercing power of the Panzerfaust the damage the Kamikaze inflicted on Allied ships during the Okinawa Campaign the number of unexploded bombs reported on the island of Malta that in 1944 alone 914,637 tons of bombs were dropped on German cities by how much the Allied forces outnumbered the Germans in Normandy how the ten costliest land battles in WWII compare with those of WWI. The book sets out six chapters with topics discussed in two- and four-page infographics spreads, including certainty: Preparation for War -- Territorial skirmishes, shifting borders, militarism and alliances. Land Campaigns -- Key battles and the military might that fought them. Weapons and Innovations - From the Polish Calvary to the A-Bomb. In the Air -- Aces and blitzes. At Sea -- The war expands to the world's oceans. Costs -- The price of war and its legacy. Compelling, a superb teaching tool, ideal for casual reading and a must-have for military hobbyists, World War II in Numbers is an exciting and powerful perspective on the global conflict.
World War II by
Highly regarded for its concise clarification of the complexities of World War II, this book illuminates the origins, course, and long-range effects of the war. It provides a balanced account that analyzes both the European and Pacific theaters of operations and the connections between them. The Fifth Edition incorporates new material based on the latest scholarship, offering updated conclusions on key topics and expanded coverage throughout.
Inferno by
Winner of the Pritzker Prize for Military History A New York Times Notable Book From one of our finest military historians, a monumental work that shows us at once the truly global reach of World War II and its deeply personal consequences. For thirty-five years, Max Hastings has researched and written about different aspects of the war. Now, for the first time, he gives us a magnificent, single-volume history of the entire conflict. Through his strikingly detailed stories of everyday people--of soldiers, sailors and airmen; British housewives and Indian peasants; SS killers and the citizens of Leningrad--Hastings provides a singularly intimate portrait of the world at war. Remarkably informed and wide-ranging, Inferno is both elegantly written and cogently argued. Above all, it is a new and essential understanding of one of the greatest and bloodiest events of the twentieth century.