Dimensions
157 x 235 x 27mm
The Second World War shaped the second half of the twentieth century; our grasp of the world we now live in is incomplete without an understanding of how and why that war was conducted. New generations of readers seek answers to old questions - How did there come to be such a war at all, so soon after the Great War? - Were the participant nations seeking conflict, or did they have it thrust upon them? - What actually happened in that war, to cause the deaths of some fifty million men, women and children?
This is a concise chronological and analytical history of the 1939-1945 conflict, giving the background to the war, the national aims and strengths of the participating nations. From the declaration of war to the end in the Far East - six years of worldwide struggle explained campaign by campaign, why leaders took the course of action they did, for good or bad, and the consequent effects on the future conduct of the war.