The Storm of War : A New History of the Second World War

A comprehensive history of World War II analyzes the factors that affected the war's outcome and preseents stories of many little-known individuals whose experiences displayed the epitome of courage and self-sacrifice. From "Britain's finest military historian" ( The Economist ) comes a magisterial new history of World War II and the flawed axis strategy that led to their defeat. The Second World War lasted for 2,174 days, cost $1.5 trillion, and claimed the lives of more than 50 million people. What were the factors that affected the war's outcome? Why did the Axis lose? And could they, with a different strategy, have won? Andrew Roberts's acclaimed new history has been hailed as the finest single-volume account of this epic conflict. From the western front to North Africa, from the Baltic to the Far East, he tells the story of the warthe grand strategy and the individual experience, the cruelty and the heroismas never before. In researching this magnificently vivid history, Roberts walked many of the key battlefields and wartime sites in Russia, France, Italy, Germany, and the Far East, and drew on a number of never-before-published documents, such as a letter from Hitler's director of military operations explaining the reasoning behind the Fhrer's order to halt the Panzers outside Dunkirka delay that enabled British forces to evacuate. Roberts illuminates the principal actors on both sides and analyzes how they reached critical decisions. He also presents the tales of many little-known individuals whose experiences form a panoply of the extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice, as well as the terrible depravity and cruelty, of the Second World War. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, The Storm of War gives a dramatic account of this momentous event and shows in remarkable detail why the war took the course it did. From "Britain's finest military historian" (The Economist) comes a magisterial new history of World War II and the flawed axis strategy that led to their defeat. The Second World War lasted for 2,174 days, cost $1.5 trillion, and claimed the lives of more than 50 million people. What were the factors that affected the war's outcome' Why did the Axis lose' And could they, with a different strategy, have won' Andrew Roberts's acclaimed new history has been hailed as the finest single-volume account of this epic con'ict. From the western front to North Africa, from the Baltic to the Far East, he tells the story of the war'the grand strategy and the individual experience, the cruelty and the heroism'as never before. In researching this magnificently vivid history, Roberts walked many of the key battlefields and wartime sites in Russia, France, Italy, Germany, and the Far East, and drew on a number of never-before-published documents, such as a letter from Hitler's director of military operations explaining the reasoning behind the FUhrer's order to halt the Panzers outside Dunkirk'a delay that enabled British forces to evacuate. Roberts illuminates the principal actors on both sides and analyzes how they reached critical decisions. He also presents the tales of many little-known individuals whose experiences form a panoply of the extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice, as well as the terrible depravity and cruelty, of the Second World War. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, The Storm of War gives a dramatic account of this momentous event and shows in remarkable detail why the war took the course it did A Comprehensive History Of World War Ii Analyzes The Factors That Affected The War's Outcome And Presents Stories Of Many Little-known Individuals Whose Experiences Displayed The Epitome Of Courage And Self-sacrifice. Onslaught. Four Invasions : September 1939-april 1940 ; Führer Imperator : May-june 1940 ; Last Hope Island : June 1940-june 1941 ; Contesting The Littoral : September 1939-june 1942 ; Kicking In The Door : June-december 1941 ; Tokyo Typhoon : December 1941-may 1942 -- Climacteric. The Everlasting Shame Of Mankind : 1939-1945 ; Five Minutes At Midway : June 1942-october 1944 ; Midnight In The Devil's Gardens : July 1942-may 1943 ; The Motherland Overwhelms The Fatherland : January 1942-february 1943 ; The Waves Of Air And Sea : 1939-1945 ; Up The Wasp-waist Peninsula : July 1943-may 1945 -- Retribution. A Salient Reversal : March-august 1943 ; The Cruel Reality : 1939-1945 ; Norman Conquest : June-august 1944 ; Western Approaches : August 1944-march 1945 ; Eastern Approaches : August 1943-may 1945 ; The Land Of The Setting Sun : October 1944-september 1945. Andrew Roberts. Originally Published: London : Allen Lane, 2009. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Gripping. . . . splendid history. A brilliantly clear and accessible account of the war in all its theaters. Roberts's prose is unerringly precise and strikingly vivid. It is hard to imagine a better-told military history of World War II." –New York Times Book Review Andrew Roberts's acclaimed new history has been hailed as the finest single-volume account of this epic conflict. From the western front to North Africa, from the Baltic to the Far East, he tells the story of the war—the grand strategy and the individual experience, the brutality and the heroism—as never before. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, The Storm of War illuminates the war's principal actors, revealing how their decisions shaped the course of the conflict. Along the way, Roberts presents tales of the many lesser-known individuals whose experiences form a panoply of the courage and self-sacrifice, as well as the depravity and cruelty, of the Second World War.

"Roberts'spopulist approach makes for a rollicking good read and never comes at theexpense of accuracy. His mastery of the huge variety of subjects is trulyimpressive and his ability to marshal these subjects into a single compellingnarrative stunning." — The Daily Telegraph

Hailedby The Economist as "Britain's finest military historian" forbestsellers such as Masters and Commanders and Waterloo, AndrewRoberts offers a magisterial new history of World War II and the Axis strategythat led the Germans and Japanese to their eventual defeat. Perfect for readershoping to gain new insight into WWII's pivotal battles and campaigns, fromDunkirk to D-Day, The Storm of War is a powerful, penetrating, andcompulsively readable examination of the causes, currents, and consequences ofthe Second World War.