World War II [Hardcover]

Ivor Matanle (Author), Viscount Montgomery of Alamein CBE (Foreword), Oberburgermeister Manfred Rommel (Foreword), John S. D. Eisenhower (Foreword)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Military Press; 50th Anniversary edition (August 2, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517676052
• ISBN-13: 978-0517676059
• Product Dimensions: 14.8 x 10.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,327,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Documentary style look at the Second World War., January 30, 2004

By 

MrSherlockHolmes - See all my reviews

This review is from: World War II (Hardcover)

It is difficult for someone who has not lived through the Second World War to appreciate the impact that the war had on the lives of the people - both civilian and military - during that time.

I will not claim that this book made me realize that, but it did create a thirst to find out more about this period in history. For those who lived through World War two and actually served in it, this book is a monument to their sacrifices.

Matanle presents the war in sections, beginning with his analysis of the probable causes of the Second World War, proceeding through the various theatres of the war and the operations within them and then concluding with the impact of the war on the world. Throughout the book there are numerous pictures showing the stages of the war, both from the Allied and Axis perspectives.

This is an excellent book, despite its brevity and is a great introduction to the Second World War. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in WWII or modern history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Huge commemorative 50th anniversary book of WW2, June 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: World War II (Hardcover)

As soon as I saw this book in the bookstore I bought it! This commemorative edition is about 15" tall, 11" wide and 1.25" thick! It has 400 pages and over 1350 photographs. It has a foreword section with contributions from the sons of Eisenhower, Rommel, and Montgomery. 50 Chapters recount the course of the war.

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive photo album and overview, April 28, 2010

By 

Dave Schranck "Dave" (Anaheim Ca) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: World War II (Hardcover)

The book being reviewed is not the above book but its a companion book. It has the same title that was published by Mr Matanle in 1989. Its ISBN is 0-517-6705-2. The book is nearly 15 in by 11 in and has 400 pages. There is easily over 1200 photos; almost all of them I haven't seen before.

The overview begins at the end of WWI with the humiliation and defeat of Germany and works its way through Poland, France, North Africa, Balkans, Russia. The Pacific War is well covered as well beginning with Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal and working its way to the dropping of the bombs and surrender. The coverage continues past the war to the beginings of the Korean War. The war on the seas and in the air is also covered. It also covers the concentration camps, postwar testing of the US atomic program as well as the legacy WWII left for future generations. The author spent seven years in research and writing the overview and assembling his photos; the album is very well done.

Besides the concise overview, each photo has an intelligent caption to assist the reader. There are also a number of maps to follow along with. Surprisingly, there is an Index to help locate specific photos. It can be a great help.

This is a marvelous book and a collector's item. If you can find a copy, don't hesitate, you should buy it.