The Second World War: An Illustrated History - Hardcover

John Keegan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670823597 ISBN 13: 9780670823598

Publisher: Viking Adult, 1990

Synopsis

Surveys the events and strategies of World War II, and covers weapons production, espionage, and the resistance

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Reviews

This account of WW II, though controversial, is rich in fresh perception, interpretation and opinion. In addition to penning a fast-paced campaign chronicle, Keegan ( The Mask of Command ) makes a convincing case for the prime motivations of Allied and Axis leaders, pinpoints the practical results of Allied summit conferences and defines the war's geopolitical dimensions. He maintains that Stalin's purge of the Soviet high command was beneficial in certain respects, and explains why Guadalcanal was a cheap victory for the U.S. Keegan argues that Churchill's hope that resistance forces would "set ablaze" Europe was a romantic notion, and that the British "descended to the enemy's level" in the strategic bombing of Germany. Most provocative are his comments on Roosevelt: while many historians would agree that FDR was the most enigmatic of the war's major figures, few will concur that his policies were "profoundly ambiguous." Photos. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In contrast to Martin Gilbert's broader The Second World War ( reviewed in this issue, p.101), Keegan's work is more a battle campaign. His strength as a military historian ( The Face of Battle, The Price of Admiralty ) is in his ability to synthesize the order of battle without getting bogged down in minutae. The mighty German-Russian struggles are well covered, as is the war in the Pacific. While Robert Leckie's Delivered from Evil: The Saga of World War II ( LJ 9/1/87) is nearly twice as long as Keegan's book, integrates biographical material into the narrative, and is less analytical than Keegan's, Keegan's is extremely well written; the reader can almost visualize the movement of an army without looking at the maps. On another level, however, Keegan tends to be simplistic (e.g., in his discussion of the causes of World War II, in his view that the war would have come even without Hitler) and skim over many topics. Nevertheless, academic and larger public libraries will find this in demand. Recommended. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/89.
- Robert Jordan, Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Viking Adult
• Publication date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0670823597
• ISBN 13: 9780670823598
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 608