The Rise of Germany, 1939-1941 (The War in the West) - Hardcover

Holland, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 080212397X ISBN 13: 9780802123978

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2015

Synopsis

The Second World War is one of the most significant conflicts in history, but for seven decades our understanding of the war has remained mostly fixed, framed by the accounts of participants and an early generation of historians. James Holland, one of the leading young historians of World War II, has spent over a decade conducting new research, interviewing survivors, and exploring archives that have never before been so accessible to unearth forgotten memoirs, letters, and official records. In The Rise of Germany, Holland draws on this research to reconsider the strategy, tactics, and economic, political, and social aspects of the war. The Rise of Germany is a masterful book that redefines our understanding of the opening years of World War II. Beginning with the lead-up to the outbreak of war in 1939 and ending in the middle of 1941 on the eve of Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of Russia, The Rise of Germany is a landmark history of the war on land, in the air, and at sea.

About this title

About the Author

James Holland is a member of the British Commission for Military History and the Guild of Battlefield Guides. His books includeDam Busters, Fortress Malta, Italy’s Sorrow, The Battle of Britain, and his fictional World War II series featuring Sergeant Jack Tanner. He lives near Salisbury, England.

Review

Praise for The Rise of Germany, 1939-1941: The War in the West, Volume 1:

A Military History Book Club Main Selection

This is narrative history as intimate, intricate tapestry . . . Mr. Holland’s success is built in part on an engaging writing style and in part on a genuinely fresh approach to events that have been so often and apparently definitively recounted. This is at heart an operational narrative, but with a difference: Mr. Holland takes the time and space to enhance his recounting of troop and ship movements and clashes of arms with the stuff of wider humanity. He deftly interweaves the experiences of refugees, of civilians, of the warriors’ loved ones and of the political elites, while never distracting us with meaningless sentimentality or extraneous personal detail. This is harder to do than it looks. Mr. Holland’s achievement is exceptional . . . [An] epic narrative.” Wall Street Journal

A lively, unique and original study, shredding many misconceptions about Britain’s situation, pre-war and in the early stages of the war . . . Unfailingly readable.” Omaha Dispatch

James Holland is the best of the new generation of World War II historians. His epic new venture convincingly challenges many received ideas about the war and draws some exciting new conclusions.” Sebastian Faulks

With this magnificent, hugely readable debut, James Holland’s The War in the West is set fair to become one of the truly great multivolume histories of the Second World War.” Andrew Roberts, New York Times bestselling author of The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War and Napoleon: A Life

This brilliant, lucid and intimate history is a game-changer, the Second World War will never seem the same again.” Professor David Edgerton, Hans Rausing Professor of the History of Science and Technology, King’s College London

James Holland has produced a gripping multi-layered study of the War in West. It weaves together accounts from all levels of those caught up in the opening stages of the war and provides an accessible and captivating narrative. More importantly still it offers a challenging reappraisal that forces us to rethink our attitudes to the conduct of the most destructive and important war in history. Essential reading.” John Buckley, Professor of War Studies, Wolverhampton University and author of Monty’s Men: The British Army and the Liberation of Europe

In The Rise of Germany, James Holland weds his typically deft writing to years of research and thought about the early years of World War II. He seeks and finds that elusive middle ground between the high politics of Hitler, Churchill, and Roosevelt and the personal experience of the soldier in the field. Holland writes on the operational level as well as any historian working today. I am already making room on my shelf for volumes two and three. I would read anything Holland writes.” Robert M. Citino, author of The German Way of War and The Wehrmacht Retreats

A hugely engaging, scholarly, and ambitious book that strips away the myths surrounding the Second World War and uniquely tells the human stories, not just the political and military history. A must-read for anyone with an interest in this turbulent and transformative period.” Tracy Borman, author of Thomas Cromwell

Holland’s achievement here is presenting multiple perspectives based on extensive research in such a page-turner. This is as much a gripping drama played out on a huge stage with distinctive characters and rapidly unfolding action as it is a book on one of the most significant periods in all of world history.” Thomas Clavin, co-author of The Heart of Everything That Is

This book stands apart and for all the right reasons: Holland has something new to say. Every page is alive with a level of excitement and enthusiasm. Here is a perspective that turns on its head what I thought I understood about those astonishing years filled with insight and detail.” Neil Oliver

James Holland’s The Rise of Germany takes a fresh look at the familiar and finds much food for thought turning several conventions on their heads in a compelling and revelatory way.” Al Murray

A book full of surprises . . . Extremely enjoyable . . . An interesting collage of military, social, political, and economic narrative . . . The book’s international character breaks down many of the war’s stereotypes . . . An interesting and thought-provoking commentary [on] the early stages of the conflict.” H-Net Reviews

Holland nimbly weaves the complex military, diplomatic, political, economic, and social patterns that marked the conflict on a global scale . . . [He] keeps the reader engaged by showing the major events through the eyes of the participants at the strategic level with politicians and generals, and at the tactical level with common soldiers and civilians . . . A worthy history that both general readers and WWII enthusiasts can enjoy.” Publishers Weekly

Holland skillfully integrates the broad political, diplomatic, economic, and military narrative with stories of individuals, civilians, and soldiers from all the belligerents.” Library Journal

A lively study.” Kirkus Reviews

Impeccably researched and superbly written . . . [Holland] skewers a number of myths about the early years of the Second World War . . . Holland’s fascinating saga offers a mixture of captivating new research and well-considered revisionism. The next two volumes should be unmissable.” Guardian

Fascinating.” Daily Mail (UK)

Edition details

• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 080212397X
• ISBN 13: 9780802123978
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 512