The Second World War In The West (CASSELL'S HISTORY OF WARFARE) - Hardcover

Messenger, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0304352241 ISBN 13: 9780304352241

Publisher: Orion, 1999

Synopsis

Defeat in 1918 left many of the losers recalcitrant, Germany foremost. Drawn to totalitarianism under a new leader in the 1930s, it first made common cause with other discontented nations, including Italy and Spain, which waged wars of their own in that decade, then in 1939 embarked on a second European war to reverse the outcome of the First. That rapidly became a World War, whose character was dominated by the development and refinement of the embryo technology of 1918. This volume covers the blitzkrieg of 1939-41, the war in Russia, and the Anglo-American counter-offensives in Africa, the Mediterranean and North-West of Europe, concluding with the campaigns of 1945 that resulted in the final defeat of Nazism in Europe.

About this title

Review

The Second World War is so well documented these days that any new history usually relies to a large extent on the added value of untapped primary sources or personal experience to make its mark. The Second World War in the West is the exception that proves the rule. Charles Messenger sticks to the conventional wisdom of the causes of the 1939-45 war--The Treaty of Versailles, for example--and his analysis of the main conflicts and turning points will equally find few dissenters. Where he scores heavily, though, is in steering a careful path between detail and simplicity to provide a vivid picture of the breadth of the war in the four major European theatres--north-western Europe, the Mediterranean and the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle-East, and The Third Reich and the East. Messenger's clarity is consolidated by superb design, but pride of place must go to the chronology, the maps and the brief biographies. Many histories are too self- important to give a week-by-week guide to the war, but Messenger's simple chronology does more to connect seemingly disparate European events than many complete books.

The 21 maps, some of which are virtually in 3D, are minor artworks and, to complete the package, we get a brief resumé of which campaigns the leading generals on both sides were engaged in. If you already have an extensive library of military history, you can probably give this book a miss. But if you are new to the subject and are looking for a comprehensive, comprehensible introduction to one of the key events of the 20th century, then Messenger is your man. --John Crace

From the Publisher

A first title in a twenty-four volume history of warfare
This is one of the first volumes in a unique publishing project from Cassell Military Publishing - The Cassell History of Warfare. Over the next three years, to the end of 2001, we shall publish twenty-four titles in this series which together will provide a complete history of war and warfare from ancient to modern times. Each volume is written by a leading authority and illustrated with around 125 colour and black and white pictures. The 20 maps in each volume are a special feature, created using state-of-the-art computer technology to produce catography that is three-dimensional and rich in detail. The Cassell History of Warfare is published under the general editorship of John Keegan, the foremost military historian of our times. Overall our goal is to publish the definitive story of war and warfare across history - written by experts and beautifully illustrated - that will become in all twenty-four volumes a compelling read and the standard work for anyone interested in military history and the history of mankind in general.

About this edition

• Publisher: Orion
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0304352241
• ISBN 13: 9780304352241
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224