Customer Reviews

Delivered from Evil: The Saga of World War II: The First Complete One-Volume History

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was actually used as a text in a history course at UW-Madison, and one of my college buddies was dismayed at its length when he enrolled in it. I took a look at its thickness and sympathized. Later I began to develop a more than passing interest in World War II, to the point where I now consider myself an amateur historian in my own right. Part of this passion and obsession means I'm compelled to read dozens of histories. It wasn't long before I stumbled on Delivered From Evil, remembered it from my friend's college days, and purchased it. I was amazed, first of all, at how easily Leckie relates the deep strategies and motivations behind the events with a novelist's flair for storytelling and drama. Though this is a long book, it actually is very tightly written, as must be any text that focuses on the entire war (D-Day is given two small chapters, for example). Yet it is far from superficial. After reading it one feels that he has much more than a surface understanding of what happened and why. Leckie also (accurately) gives most of the credit for winning the war in Europe to the Russians, a point of view which all serious historians recognize, but one that is given short shrift in the West. The difficult to explain Pacific Campaign is also handled masterfully. There are other books that explain these events in greater detail, but few that make the deeper causes and consequences so accessible to the non-historian. A truly great book and one that must be read by even those with a casual interest in the topic.

I've studied this war for many years and have read over 100 books on it - this is the best single volume out there. For the incredible scope, the detail it covers rival's Ambrose's works. This is and absolute must for any WWII buff.

An extremely courageous undertaking...many detailed volumes have previously been written on World War II at the specific battle level that to imagine a one-volume account of the whole war which is not only useful but also readable seems initially to be a ridiculous proposition. Robert Leckie, however, pulls it off marvelously and earns his reputation as a "masterful historian" with this epic work.

Starting at Versaille following the dreadful end of World War I and ending on the deck of the Missouri battleship for the formal Japanese surrender, this account (in over 900 pages of extremely small type) covers all the major details with surprising comprehensiveness while at the same time not sacrificing that important readability component. If one were to combine this book with the DVD issue of the classic WWII saga "The World at War", you'd get a beguiling experience of the events that continue to shape our world today.

Leckie's experience at extolling just the right amount of battle detail while balancing the "human" side of the struggle is really masterful...each period of the War is told in easily read chapters and paragraphs and although at times episodic, makes this work one that can easily be started and stopped at short intervals.

The post WWI German and Italian economies are the main impetus for the development of Fascism and Leckie develops this plot with wonderful biographies of Mussolini and Hitler...the rise of the Third Reich follows and Leckie explains this with deft political discussion as well as with many first-hand accounts from Generals down to the every-day Berliner. The English and French make little attempt at interdiction and Hitler is off on his dillusional nationalism...the invasion of Poland is just the start of the "empire building" that lasts for almost six more years.

The Japanese rise and ultimate invasion of Pearl Harbor are integrated as well and the reader really gets a true feeling of the coming of war. Leckie's previously published works on the Southwest Pacific theatre are obviously used here and thus makes for enticing reading at the battles for Guadalcanal and the Phillipines...also, his depiction of MacArthur goes against the "standard" history and is a refreshing point in this story.

The Allied invasion of Europe and the "island hopping" in the Pacific are discussed in full military detail (again, just the right amount) as are the many first hand soldier accounts of those battles that add depth and immediacy. The highlights of this work (in my opinion) are the fall of the Third Reich and the subsequent Hitler suicide; the American homefront and what it meant to a struggling American economy; the Normandy invasions and subsequent breakout and, finally, a completely comprehensive and disturbing summary of the Holocaust. Leckie adroitly mixes details with his amazing story-telling ability that leaves the reader with a pleasingly full knowledgable experience. This truly is THE text to start any study of WWII. The only criticism I'd add is the lack of maps...the afore mentioned Pacific theatre discussion would have been exceedingly better had Leckie included maps...

For an initial undertaking of serious study of this conflict, I'd challenge anyone to find a better starting point than "Deliverd from Evil"...I give this a very high recommendation.

Leckie has a daunting task - attempt a write a comprehensive single-volume history of the Second World War. By and large, he succeeds (partially by shrinking the font size down so the book clocks in at around 1000 pages instead of the 1300 or so it would be if it were normal pitch size).

The book depends greatly on primary sources. Most battles are described from both a strictly academic standpoint and from the journals of those who participated. This lends a human element to what could be a dry story. You realize that the players on all sides of the conflict were human beings with hopes and dreams of their own.

Unfortunately, the book is biased towards the Pacific theater. There are seven chapters on Guadalcanal, for example, while Operation Torch gets virtually no mention. The only description we have of the invasion of North Africa comes as a journal entry from an infantryman. No discussion of the battleship duel between the Massachusets and the Jean-Bart, no details of the logistical constraints, just one simple journal entry.

Overall, despite its few shortcomings, it is a good single-volume history of the war. If you are looking for a broad-brush history of the war, read this.

This is a highly readable one volume saga of the Second World War. Mr. Leckie does paraphrase a lot from other sources, and there are minor errors in the book. But his is one of the few comprehensive works on WWII that deals with the war against Japan in more detail than the dominant Europe-centered publications. Also, Mr. Leckie's style of writing is excellent, with good transition between chapters. This book can be considered a popular history of the war, and many scholars have tended to dismiss popular works, but for students looking for a starting point in their study of the war, or readers with a general interest of it, few books are better than this one.

Robert Leckie is one of the best authors of popular history writing today. He has written several history books that read almost like novels about various aspects of American history.

This is, I believe, the first book he wrote that later evolved in that series of books. It includes detailed briefs on the major personalities in the War (F.D.R., Hitler, Rommel, Stalin, 'Viniger' Joe Stillwell, etc.) The accounts let you know how their lives were shaped, which leads to how they later shaped World War Two.

Mr. Leckie later did the same things with his othe r historys. He is unashemedly American in his outlook, but not afraid to critize either. The title of this book "Delievered from Evil" should give that away. After all, the Nazi's were what we would call 'evil'. Leckie is not afraid to call it such either.

All in all, a great book to have.

Bob Leckie bit off rather alot when he set about to encapsulate the entirety of World War II in a single volume history. To his credit, he pulled it off most admirably and cemented his already noteworthy credentials as a military historian.

Leckie takes his reader on a more or less chronological tour through the World War II era beginning with the immediate post-Versailles years and offering insightful biographical sketches of key figures like Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Churchill, etc. The book is divided into well over 100 short chapters (maybe 5-10 pages on average), each on a relatively discreet facet of the war, whether that is a specific person or a campaign. The great majority of the history is offered from a relatively high-level perspective, as is necessary to cover such a broad topic in under 1000 pages of text, but intermittently he swoops in low for a soldier's eye view of the battlefield.

Leckie draws heavily on a host of primary and secondary source materials, some more creditworthy than others, to weave a narrative that is both engaging and smooth-flowing. The author's gift for description and imagery allows him to convey sweeping events with great economy of words and, in some cases, with great visceral punch.

As well done as this volume is, I had a few minor "beefs" with it. First, the author is prone to editorialize a bit much for my taste as a reader of history, often with a biting sarcasm that would be better expressed in another medium. Second, the author spends far more ink than is appropriate on Guadalcanal, giving it six chapters versus only one two for other major campaigns like the Battle of the Bulge. This is somewhat excusable since the author fought there and this battle was a significant part of his own experience, but this exhibits too much personal bias for a history book. Lastly, the narrative ends abruptly with the surrender of Japan, while offering no wrap-up discussion about the immediate results of this greatest of human wars.

Overall, for anyone wanting to get a solid overview of World War II and its major personalities, you will be hard pressed to find a better book than this one.

I heartily agree with the other reviewers: this is one of the handful of great books on the war. It's meticulously researched and detailed for a single-volume work, and is full of intelligent and penetrating insight. It's terrifically readable besides. After I had finsihed it, my 13 year old son picked it up and devoured it cover to cover in less than two weeks.

I first read this book several years ago as part of a history class during my undergrad (BA, Social Science). This book, while long in page and in small in type, is the best single volume history of WWII. It reads like a novel, with crisp history and tight details. Highly recommended for both the academic and the passionate amateur historian.

I will some day tackle this tome again - for it is indeed the best.

This is a very well written book, one of the best overviews of WW 2. It describes the various battles from both a strategic and personal perspective. I especially like the background the author gives on the various players' histories and personalities -- author Robert Leckie really did his research. I highly recommend this book.