Germany's defeat in 1918 left the nation resentful--and paved the way for Nazism's ascent and the fierce determination to reverse that loss. Follow the spread of war throughout the world, and the technological developments and refinements of weaponry, as the Germans undertake the blitzkrieg of Eastern Europe in 1939-41; enlist other discontented countries in their cause; and wage a bitter offensive against Russia. Also covered is the Anglo-American counter-offensive in Africa and the battles that raged in the Mediterranean and North western Europe. 224 pages, 70 color illus., 80 b/w illus., 7 3/4 x 10 3/8.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The Second World War is so well documented that any new history usually relies to a large extent on the added value of untapped primary sources or personal experience to make its mark. The Second World War in the West is the exception to the rule. Charles Messenger sticks to the conventional wisdom about the causes of the 1939-1945 war--the Treaty of Versailles, for example--and his analysis of the main conflicts and turning points will find few dissenters. Where he scores heavily, though, is in steering a careful path between detail and simplicity to provide a vivid picture of the breadth of the war in the four major European theaters--northwestern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle-East, and the Third Reich and the East. Messenger's clarity is consolidated by superb design, but pride of place must go to the chronology, the maps and the brief biographies. Many histories are too self-important to give a week-by-week guide to the war, but Messenger's simple chronology does more to connect seemingly disparate European events than many complete books. The 21 maps, some of which are virtually in 3D, are minor artworks and, to complete the package, we get a brief résumé of which campaigns the leading generals on both sides were engaged in. If you already have an extensive library of military history, you can probably give this book a miss. But if you are new to the subject and are looking for a comprehensive, comprehensible introduction to one of the key events of the 20th century, then Messenger is your man. --John Crace, Amazon.co.uk
About the Author
Charles Messenger was a Regular officer in the Royal Tank Regiment. He then left the army to take up a career as a military historian and defence analyst. His second career has proved hugely successful, and he has published a large number of books, mainly concentrating on the two World Wars.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Holy Cow! Unbiased report on History?,
By
This review is from: History of Warfare: The Second World War In The West (Cassell History of Warfare) (Hardcover)
Having seen the book in the store I (thought) I knew what I was getting. I was taken in by the graphics and pictures in the book. Now that I have completed the book I found the diagrams pretty confusing at times, adding only a little to the text. The text was most certainly written by a British (or "Anglo") author. Very little emphasis was made on major American (or Russian) achievements versus the emphasis on British achievements. The Americans came off as distrustful of Churchill, lesser experienced and derisive of the British. While I don't believe that was the case, the theme came through that way in this book. Additionally, no effort was spared addressing / defending the traditional complaints held against the British war effort. This has no place in a history book, in my mind -- unless that is the intent of the book. As a historian's personal opinion of the Western part of WWII, the book is fine. But as a history book, it comes off biased. Truly living up to the caution at the beginning of the book "the author's moral right has been asserted".
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Outline history of World War II in the West,
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This review is from: The Second World War in the West (Paperback)
Cassell has been publishing these volumes for a year or so now in the United States, to reasonably good reviews. I have read several of them now (I think this is the third, and I have a fourth around here somewhere) and generally my take on them is as with other books: how good they are depends on the author. Gunther Rothenberg, the author of the volume on Napoleon, is an expert on the subject, and that shows in his book. H.P. Wilmott is an expert on carrier warfare and the Pacific War, and he wrote the volume on that, and made some intelligent points. Charles Messenger, the author of the present volume, is considered an expert on World War II in Europe, and especially in mobile warfare, so he gets the assignment here. While he does a very good job overall, he does fall short a bit in places.One problem is scope. Messenger has a lot of ground to cover, but then so did Wilmott in his companion volume. Messenger seems lost sometimes in trying to sort out what he should talk about and what he's going to ignore. He leaves the naval aspect of the war basically aside, and does the same thing with most of the events of the air war. Instead he concentrates on the mobile warfare on the ground, which is after all his area of expertise. Unfortunately, Messenger occasionally lets his British heritage influence influence what he writes about the war. So, for instance, the German troops on Sicily fight against the British and Canadians, while the Americans draw Italian opponents, who are easier to defeat. In reality, one of the American invasion beaches was almost overrun by a German panzer division, which was only stopped by naval gunfire. The Soviet part in the war is dealt with in some detail, given the length of the overall book. Issues such as tank design and unit organization are covered briefly, but concisely. The strategies used by the various sides in prosecuting the war are gone over also, enough to understand the issues involved. Given the proportional sizes of the various armies, though, you could make the argument that the Eastern Front doesn't get its share of the coverage, and that the Western (and especially British) Front gets more than its fair share. Much is made, for instance, of the War in the North African desert. Though the author does note the small size of the forces involved compared with the campaigns in the east, he spends as much time on them anyway. My review, therefore, is a bit mixed. The author certainly isn't John Keegan when it comes to crafting prose. While he's not terrible, he also doesn't come up with unconventional interpretations or reinterpretations of the war and its impact, as some of the other authors in this series do. The maps are tremendous, as always, though at least one is incomplete (the little numbered boxes are blank, unintentionally. It's fun to see if you can fill in the numbers correctly.) and sometimes the text seems only loosely connected to the maps involved. On that note, I think I would only recommend the book to those whose interest in the Second World War is just starting. Perhaps a teenager would be interested. And of course, if the person involved is British, the emphasis would probably not be such an issue.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice introduction,
By
This review is from: The Second World War in the West (Paperback)
Mr Messinger, a noted historian and author has written a competent introduction to WWII, suitable for new students and casual readers.
The book begins after WWI and discusses the Treaty of Versailles, the startup of the League of Nations, the rise of nationalism with special attention to Mussolini and Hitler's rearmament and annexation of the late 1930s. After getting the reader acclimated to the circumstances of Europe by late 1930s, the author begins coverage of the war and includes the invasion of Poland, the Phoney war with Britain, the Russo-Finnish war, the invasion of Denmark, Norway, France, Belgium. A little bit about America's isolationism and the start up of Lend-Lease is discussed. Moving on, North Africa, Balkans, Crete is mentioned before the invasion of Russia is covered. The Allied Offensive to take back North Africa, the invasion of Italy, the Normandy invasion, the Battle of the Bulge and the drive to Germany is then covered. The expulsion of Germans from Russia and the capture of Berlin is also given prominence. In Retrospect, the author discusses the costs in lives and treasury spent and the destruction of so much of Europe and western Russia. A little bit is mentioned of the new technology and weaponry that was developed during the war and also the new medicines and better care for the wounded. A brief synopsis of the leaders is also levied. Included with the narrative is 20 color maps, 118 photos and 19 illustrations. Most of the computer generated maps were either full page or dual page and include the popular engagements. Also included is an Appendix covering the career highlights of the leading commanders, a suggested reading list and index. There are no Notes. There is also a Chronology to help frame the events of the war. Mr Messenger's "The Chronological Atlas of World War Two" is a combination Chronology and Atlas and is much more comprehensive, covering the eastern and western theatres. If your interest lies in France then Mr Messenger's "The D-Day Atlas" has greater depth and better maps. This is a nice blend of war summary, maps and photos and would be ideal for new or casual readers of the war.
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