"Based on a matchless knowledge of the documents, he provides an authoritative treatment of military, diplomatic, and economic aspects, written with great force and insight. As a one-volume survey, it is unlikely to be surpassed...a magnificent achievement, a tour de force."--Kenneth O. Morgan,
New Statesman and Soceity"A miracle of compression compared with the rest of the horde of general histories."--
Guardian"Parker alights unerringly on the salient campaigns and issues, and considers them with consistent style and insight."--
Times Educational Supplement"The most balanced view of the causes and courses of the Second World War."--Field Marshal Lord Carver,
Times Literary Supplement"Written in clear and elegant English...a masterful account of the Second World War in all its different spheres. It is scrupulously fair, illuminated by an engaging sense of humour...and gives an entirely balanced view of the varying contributions of the different powers engaged."--Richard Cobb,
The Spectator