the Second World War (2) Europe 1939-1943 [Paperback]

Robin Havers (Author)

Book Description

Series: Essential Histories | Publication Date: September 18, 2002

While many of the participants were the same as the First World War, this conflict was far more than a re-match of 1914-1918. The Second World War was even more destructive than the first and the added ideological element meant that this war was far crueller.This book details the first four years of the war in Europe. It discusses how and why Hitler's resurgent Germany plunged into war, and examines the German successes against Poland, France and the Low Countries.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This unique series studies every major war in history looking at all the aspects of war, from how it felt to be a soldier to the lasting impact of the conflict on the world around it.

About the Author

Dr Robin Havers is Senior Lecturer in War Studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, following degrees from Queen Mary College, University of London and LSE. He is the author of ‘The Changi Prisoner of War Camp: From Myth to History’ (Curzon Press).

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (September 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841764477
• ISBN-13: 978-1841764474
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #959,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview of one of our world's most important periods. Outstanding!, May 25, 2011

By 

C. T. Hunter "chips_books" (Gainesville, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: the Second World War (2) Europe 1939-1943 (Paperback)

This is the second entry in the 6-volume series (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) from Essential Histories focused on the Second World War. Robin Havers does an excellent job of distilling down the hugely-complicated politics and military action of the early European theatre into a 96-page format. Detailed enough that you feel sure you're getting most of the pertinent information, but brief enough to make it a quick and easy read, this edition succeeds in finding the balance so crucial for an Essential Histories book. Havers focuses more on the causes, politics, and setting of the conflict than the actual battles, but that is common for Essential Histories and works very well here. Actually, I would rank this as one of the very best Essential Histories I've read, mostly because of Havers' well-executed approach to presenting this material. Succinct and to-the-point, but full of interesting tidbits like short quotes, Havers is able to keep the reader entertained, while being quite thorough on getting the point across.

From Neville Chamberlain's bumbling at the outbreak of the war, to the rise of Hitler, to the success of the RAF and their strategic bombing campaigns of occupied Europe, this volume chronicles some of the most important and famous moments of the second world war. German technical and strategic advantages are outlined with great clarity. With the Luftwaffe and Panzer divisions being utilized in never-before-seen strategies to surprise the world with the rapidity of their offensive, and the embarrassing ineffectualness of the Maginot Line and the route of the French, the war seemed to be going Germany's way during most of the period covered here. As the USA got involved, the British economy mobilized to support the RAF, and the Germans hit a wall in Stalingrad, however, the tides began to turn. By the end of this book, Germany is on its heels, the Allies are preparing for the invasion of Normandy, and America is ready to fully support the war.

This is an excellent overview of one of our world's most important periods. Stands out as being outstanding even in the very good Essential Histories series. Very highly recommended for history fans.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Overview of the War in Europe, October 31, 2002

By 

Jason Lewis (Phoenix, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: the Second World War (2) Europe 1939-1943 (Paperback)

Robin Havers has written clear and engaging description of the Second World War in Europe. It is ideal for readers looking for well-rounded account of the events from 1939 to 1943. Furthermore, Dr. Havers blows up several of the myths of the period while teasing out the key strategic lessons.

This volume is the second of six covering the Second World War. (There are 70 volumes in the EH series covering wars from 400 BC to the present day.) The volumes in EH are incredibly well laid out. The pictures are stunning and the full colour maps draw you into the action. My only complaint of the series is that they do not offer tables and charts for numerical data (weapons comparisons, etc. see ¡°The Visual Display of Information¡± by Tufte.) The content is laid out the same way in each volume, with chapters discussing the chronology, combatants and how the war ended. There are also chapters discussing the daily lives of soldiers and citizens.

This volume, in particular, is well worth the read. Dr. Havers gives a lucid account of the events without straying into pedantic descriptions of daily events. The book is most exciting when it dispels the myths of period (i.e. the numerical/technical superiority of German tanks) and focuses on the real reasons for the Germans success (cunning, communications and leadership style). As such, it is an excellent case study in strategy both for the military and non-military audience.

No war is fought without its share of pride and folly. The author takes all the participants to task for their oversights and hubris. This schadenfreude would be all the more delightful were the consequences not so tragic.

Dr. Havers, unlike many academic historians, has a light touch with personal stories in the ¡°Portrait of a Soldier¡± and ¡°Portrait of a Citizen¡± chapters. He rounds out the story of the period with a sympathetic and amusing accounts of everyday life for combatants and civilians.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in an overview of the period. I would also recommend it to general fans of strategy as it provides excellent lessons in leadership and innovation.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good basic guide, April 12, 2005

By 

David Wright "D Wright" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: the Second World War (2) Europe 1939-1943 (Paperback)

Really like the way this book was written- both very accessible yet quite sophisticated and well expressed. Main weakness is that that author had been asked to write on too many subjects in too short a volume and therefore many topics don't get sufficient coverage. As a good basic guide to this part of WWII it's pretty good!