The Ordeal of Total War: 1939-1945 (Paperback)

by Gordon Wright (Author) "AT DAWN on the morning of September 1, 1939, the first units of a powerful German army crossed Germany's eastern frontier onto Polish soil..." (more)
Key Phrases: twilight war, parallel war, conquered east, Soviet Union, United States, Second World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
". . . a distinguished achievement which conveys a convincing picture of what total war means, or rather what it meant before the H-bomb added a new dimension." -- New York Review of Books

Product Description
The Second World War's destructive impact on the continent of Europe probably exceeds that of any previous disaster in the modern era. This volume is concerned with a brief six-year period. Wright, having mastered a vast amount of diffuse literature on WWII, has put his own stimulating interpretations on a difficult and complicated subject. The book goes far beyond the usual military chronicle. It is a splendid synthesis of a tragic phase of recent European history.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 314 pages
• Publisher: Waveland Press (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881339725
• ISBN-13: 978-0881339727
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #497,143 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Introduction to the European Theater of World War, June 26, 2000

By	Kesselring (Utah United States) - See all my reviews

If you're looking for an introduction to World War II concerning the European theater you would do well to pick up _The Ordeal of Total War_. Gordon Wright goes beyond the stadard military/political description of war as is so often the case and delves into the social, economic, and psychological impact of modern or "total war". In regards to economics the UK, USA, USSR and German economic policies are examined, evaluated and compared for their effectiveness in dealing with the demands for total war. Something very necessary in understanding what total war is all about.

Although the campaigns and individual battles of the war aren't greatly detailed they are covered sufficiently to provide a good introduction. Particularily useful are the chapters dealing with German rule in occupied Europe (and German resettlement polcies), the scientifid dimensions of warfare and the resistance movements (and competing resistance movements).

Gordon Wright doesn't end his book with the German surrender in 1945. He continues to explain the post-war situation, how World War II shaped the post 1945 Europe, and how the "Big Three" begins to unravel how the seeds of the Cold War are planted. I think Gordon's contention that the war time alliance of the Allies had no validity after the destruction of the Third Reich is right on target.

Final Word: Broad in scope yet compact; good reading even for the more familiar student of World War II.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ounce for ounce, one of the most compact WWII strategic summaries, November 22, 2005

By	G. Stelzenmuller - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was hard to put down once started. I have read many WWII histories covering various aspects of that time period, and this book ranks among the best, being tightly packed with fact-backed hypotheses and conclusions. The chapters on "German Rule in Europe" and "Economic Dimensions" are alone worth the price of the book, in my opinion.

I will be the first to admit that I only rated the book 4 stars because of Wright's blatant England-most-important bias, and his misfortune to have published in 1968. In 1968, I will also admit (in hindsight) that Wright's conclusions would be strongly colored by the events of the '60's, and I suppose most historians at that time wound up doing the same. I was amused to see his matter-of-fact appraisals of the US wartime contributions as nevertheless extremely crucial. Maybe it was just the lesser amount of detail said! The reader will find in the "Economic Dimension" chapter the almost hidden admission that US wartime output was better per capita than the British. Capitalism always seems to outproduce any other economic strategy, but the gentleman (and he definitely was) can be forgiven for living through the Depression era.

There is not much detail about military campaigns at the tactical level, but there are many other books which will have this kind of material. In reading "Ordeal of Total War" you will be rewarded, though, with having dozens of fresh perspectives on the strategic aspect of the WWII period. You will indeed think, and you will enjoy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Introduction to the European Theater of World War, June 27, 2000

By	Kesselring (Utah United States) - See all my reviews

If you're looking for an introduction to World War II concerning the European theater you would do well to pick up _The Ordeal of Total War_. Gordon Wright goes beyond the stadard military/political description of war as is so often the case and delves into the social, economic, and psychological impact of modern or "total war". In regards to economics the UK, USA, USSR and German economic policies are examined, evaluated and compared for their effectiveness in dealing with the demands for total war. Something very necessary in understanding what total war is all about.

Although the campaigns and individual battles of the war aren't greatly detailed they are covered sufficiently to provide a good introduction. Particularily useful are the chapters dealing with German rule in occupied Europe (and German resettlement polcies), the scientifid dimensions of warfare and the resistance movements (and competing resistance movements).

Gordon Wright doesn't end his book with the German surrender in 1945. He continues to explain the post-war situation, how World War II shaped the post 1945 Europe, and how the "Big Three" begins to unravel how the seeds of the Cold War are planted. I think Gordon's contention that the war time alliance of the Allies had no validity after the destruction of the Third Reich is right on target.

Final Word: Broad in scope yet compact; good reading even for the more familiar student of World War II.