World War II

Now in Paperback!

Beginning with the complex political and social circumstances that led to World War II, this volume comprehensively discusses the decisions made, battles fought, lives affected, and subsequent results of the war that defined the twentieth century. It includes firsthand testimony of young soldiers who remember the front lines, as well as the wives, parents, and children left at home.

Grade 7 Up—Grant draws upon the resources of Britain's Imperial War Museum to introduce readers to the period. He covers the traditional topics such as the prelude to the conflict, the war in the European and Pacific theaters, the fall of Germany and Japan, and the resulting Cold War. He also includes information about how people were affected by these events. Each chapter spread discusses a specific topic in an introductory paragraph and about six to eight well-captioned photos of people, weapons, battle scenes, or maps. "Voices" sections quote people who experienced important parts of the war and include a few full-page photographs. The accompanying DVD features moving footage that supplements the material in the book. Grant is objective about the conflict, pointing out German and Japanese atrocities, but also mentioning the mistakes and sometimes misguided actions of the Allied nations. This book's format and coverage are similar to that found in World War II: The People's Story (Reader's Digest, 2003), and it does not offer in-depth information or analysis that would help researchers. However, its attractive format will draw browsers and help teens gain a better understanding of the scope of the war and its enormous costs.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
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