ABSTRACT

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.

chapter 1|11 pages

World War I: The Great Turning

chapter 2|15 pages

The Legacy of World War I

chapter 3|17 pages

The Rise of the Dictators

chapter 4|15 pages

The Road to War

chapter 7|10 pages

The Fall of France

chapter 8|9 pages

Britain Is Still an Island

chapter 10|11 pages

Operation Barbarossa: Dream of Lebensraum

chapter 11|15 pages

Hitler’s New Order in Europe

chapter 12|12 pages

America Enters the War

chapter 13|10 pages

Japan Triumphant, December 1941–May 1942

chapter 15|12 pages

America Gains the Initiative in the Pacific

chapter 18|8 pages

Probing the Underbelly: Sicily and Italy

chapter 19|11 pages

War in the Atlantic

chapter 21|16 pages

Total War and the Home Fronts

chapter 23|13 pages

The End of the Thousand-Year

chapter 24|8 pages

War on the Periphery

chapter 25|16 pages

The Collapse of Japan