World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia (Military History of the United States) [Hardcover]

David T. Zabecki (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0824070291 | ISBN-13: 978-0824070298 | Publication Date: December 1, 1998

World War II defined the 20th century and shaped many events, from the decolonization of Africa to the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. This encyclopedia offers a focused overview of this complex and volatile era, the circumstances that led up to war, the underlying causes, its unfolding and consequences. The text emphasizes the operations in Eastern Europe and Russia. There is a section that inspects all the major weapons, with handy tables for easy comparison. And in recognition of the first large-scale participation of women in war, the volume thoroughly documents their individual and unit contributions to the Allied effort. Finally, the encyclopedia discusses battlefield realities that explain, for example, why airborne drops at Normandy suceeded and the ones at Arnheim failed decolonization of Africa to the rise and fall of the Berl in Wall.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A valuable reference work providing new research on a subject that still continues to fascinate both academics and enthusiasts.....A valuable complement and guide to the enormous literature on the subject.
–Canadian Journal of History, August 2000

Designed to meet the reference needs of any level of user...This work is recommended for serious students of politico-military affairs in the 20th century and reference department emphasizing modern history.
–Choice

World War II in Europe is an invaluable study of the Western half of the war and a worthy addition to reference collections in large public and academic libraries.
–Reference Books Bulletin/Booklist

A very, very strong effort, and certainly strong enough to look like a leading candidate for the annual Top Ten awards.
–Stone and Stone Second World War Books

Recommended.....An excellent in-depth reference.
–Reviewer's Bookwatch

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1550 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824070291
• ISBN-13: 978-0824070298
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.3 x 4.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,338,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Argument-Settler for World War II Buffs (and scholars), May 15, 2000

By 

James J. Bloom (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia (Military History of the United States) (Hardcover)

The massive two-volume work will most likely be found only in University and large metropolitan libraries. An occasional military history nut like myself will shell out the better part of $200 for this comprehensive and well-organized reference work.

Does it replace single volume, cheaper and handier encyclopedia? I have not seen any notable gaps in coverage when randomly searching for some relatively obscure events, items or person be they Rumanian military commanders, Baltic seacoast skirmishes or Polish tankettes. However, as the title notes, this work is devoted to the European Theater(which includes much of the African and Middle Eastern theaters as well). As such, it is exhaustive.

It is organized into sections dealing with "Social and Political Events", "Leaders", "Units and Organizations", "Weapons", "Strategy, Tactics and Operational concepts (including doctrine)", and finally "Battles and Campaigns". Each article is written by someone who obviously knows his or her material. Suggested reading lists immediately follow each entry, which vary from a paragraph or two to several pages. This aspect is uneven. Some lists suggest outdated and curious wartime items, others include dubious popular accounts or works that mention the subject only incidentally. However, enough substantial and authoritative works are included to provide adequate additional depth for the most part. The general bibliography at the end supplements the mini-list nicely.

Appendices handle code names, a chronological table, acronyms, comparative ranks and a general selected bibiliography covering each topical subdivision.

There are two indices: military units/warships, and general subjects. The latter is comprehensive and will pinpoint your research requirements.

Some may not care for the topical subdivisions;the format doesn't make the book easy to casually leaf through in order to get information on a subject on impulse. The index however, is useful in finding the main entry for the subject you are researching ( in bold) as well as places where to find more incidental references to the topic.

The section on Units and Organizations, for example, does not go into operational histories but only the "organizational profiles". So if you are interested in both the structure/character AND the war record of a certain division or elite formation, you'd have to check out relevant sections in Battles and Campaigns as well as the "Unit" pages. Also, it's not always easy to separate the political from the military-operational aspects of cerain events. However, the index compensates for the unavoidable fragmentation of these discussions, which is really not a drawback for the most part.

The section on Weapons and Equipment is not simply an annotated tabular reference such as you find in many of the glossy coffee table "Planes of the Luftwaffe" picture books. The discussions give an excellent feel for the pre-war development of the plane, tank or ship under discussion as well as it's impact on operations and relative performance in the various theaters and campaigns.

I like the idea of the special section on Strategy, Tactics and Doctrine. These subjects are not analyzed abstractly, but are related to particular campaigns. Furhter,their wartime evolution is clearly denoted.

Thirty-seven strategical/operational maps in the beginning of the Battles and Campaigns segment are detailed enough to follow most of the following discussions.

This work, along with the forthcoming Pacific volumes, belongs on any two-foot shelf of essential World War II reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, June 19, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia (Military History of the United States) (Hardcover)

This is the most complete source of information that you can get on WWII in Europe without expanding to 20 volumes. It has been a invaluable tool on staff rides. For the hobby historian, it is awesome. For a professional historian, it is a condensed bible.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb WWII Resource, February 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia (Military History of the United States) (Hardcover)

This encyclopedia will be well-received by all serious military historians.