Customer Reviews

World War II For Dummies

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've seen dozens of World War 2 movies, but I never had an understanding of what really happened during the war, and why. I needed a book that would lay a foundation of understanding so I could put everything in perspective. With that in mind (and with the pending release of the Band of Brothers DVD) I decided to get "World War 2 for Dummies". I read this book faster and with more intensity than just about any other book in my life. I couldn't believe how interested I became in the campaigns, and it was great to have a light bulb come on whenever I connected an event with a movie or book. I couldn't believe how many scenes from movies and books came to mind as I read.

Because I am not a historian, or well read on the subject, I can't speak to any historical inaccuracies or bias in the text. There were also no footnotes, so you have to take all the facts and figures at face value, with no help in finding sources for further study.

I would have liked to have seen many more maps, as I found myself constantly looking for a map of territory being discussed, and frequently couldn't find it. I would have also liked footnotes pointing to movies and books that pertain to the subject at hand, either to tie it together, or point to further study. I would have also liked sidenotes mentioning controversial aspects of the war (maybe a "list-of-10") discussing areas of conspiracy or debate among historians, if just to acknowledge their presence. Things like "Did FDR know about the attack on Pearl Harbor beforehand?".

Since finishing this book, I've found myself looking at WW2 much more clearly; as I browse titles of books I might like to read, I can recognize battles and people. And I get excited about recording stuff off of the History Channel, as it is much easier to understand.

And now I finally know what they're so worried about in the "Sound of Music"; I've seen the movie many times, and never knew what the heck the "Anschluss" was!

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a soup-to-nuts overview of the politics, people and battles of World War 2. My dilemma now is whether to study WW2 further, or read some of the other History for Dummies (World, American, and Civil War) books.

I've always known a bit about the ETO (European Theater Ops), but not much at all about the PTO (Pacific Theater Ops). I found the opening chapter to the book especially helpful, as it explained why certain countries aligned the way they did before the war started. It also does a good job setting up the Japanese Empire's goals and directives, which I think gets ignored quite a bit in history classes. If you're a casual student of military history who wants a good foundation for deeper study, this is a great book (especially for high school students who want a good, easy read without getting bogged down in incredible detail). In addition, the maps are simplistic and easy to understand re: army movements.

This is definitely a classics for all beginners.
The book gives a full coverage of the War in very simple English. To help readers to understand key events and persons, maps and photographs are used extensively. While each chapter can be readed independently, my favourites are Chapter 6, 11 and 14.
A must-read for all readers who are interested in this subject.

this book was so good because we did not go into depth in my history class so we did not learn of much of the pacific theatre of operations.we only learnt about island hopping and the atomic bomb.i really enjoyed the side pannels that explained stuff about certain people. this book was awesome

Dr. Dickson covers a tremendous amount of ground in this excellent history. Many Americans have a casual knowledge of World War II, mostly centered around Pearl Harbor and D-Day. This books crams an incredible amount of detail about the war into a few short pages and covers many of the overlooked theaters of the war: North Africa, Italy, southwest Pacific and Burma. I highly recommend this book for high school and college students.

If you are new to WWII, read this book. It provides a great overview.
It would be a five star book if it was put in chronological order. My only complaint is that it keeps jumping around, back & forth from 1941 to '44 back to '40 etc. For a good chronological overview of WW2 go to wikopedia & search 'WW2 Timeline".

WW2 is fascinating and has affected the world in so many ways... This book will explain how what happened then is still affecting us today. It does an excellent job of outlining the war and is a great starting point for those looking to get a general overview of what happened to cause this war to start and to finally end. It also makes it easy to skip to the chapters of interest so you don't have to read sections you are more familiar with. It's a very nice overview of the War.

I really enjoyed this book. Like all of the "Dummies" books, WWII for Dummies was well written and enjoyable to read. I am a high school teacher and I am constantly look for reference books that I can use to give my kids the background of a single incident that is not going to require them to read 20 pages of battles and military history. This was straight, to the point, and my kids really enjoyed the quirkiness of the writing and the fun attitude it displayed. I highly encourage this book if you are trying to find simple answers for a classroom or you just want to brush up on your WWII without delving into a 300 pg. book that will put you to sleep.

I am reading the book now. So far, it is very interesting; I have learned many things, of which I not aware prior to beginning to read the book.

I felt I didn't know enough about WWII and decided to get this book and read it. Now after having read the book, I feel that I have a good concept of the war as well as a general understanding of foriegn affairs and the part Americans have played in the world. If a mother of 4 like me can enjoy this book so can you. Very interesting, informative and will make any American proud.