- Summary
- World War II was the most lethal conflict in human history. Hanson examines how combat unfolded in the air, at sea, and on land to show how distinct conflicts among disparate combatants coalesced into one interconnected global war. He argues that despite its novel industrial barbarity, neither the war's origins nor its geography were unusual. Nor was its ultimate outcome surprising.
"A definitive account of World War II by America's preeminent military historian World War II was the most lethal conflict in human history. Never before had a war been fought on so many diverse landscapes and in so many different ways, from rocket attacks in London to jungle fighting in Burma to armor strikes in Libya. The Second World Wars examines how combat unfolded in the air, at sea, and on land to show how distinct conflicts among disparate combatants coalesced into one interconnected global war. Drawing on 3,000 years of military history, Victor Davis Hanson argues that despite its novel industrial barbarity, neither the war's origins nor its geography were unusual. Nor was its ultimate outcome surprising. The Axis powers were well prepared to win limited border conflicts, but once they blundered into global war, they had no hope of victory. An authoritative new history of astonishing breadth, The Second World Wars offers a stunning reinterpretation of history's deadliest conflict."-- Jacket.
- Variant Title
- 2nd World Wars
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- Hanson, Victor Davis, author.
- Published
- New York : Basic Books, [2017]
©2017
- Locale
- Europe
- Edition
- First edition
- Contents
-
Part one: IDEAS. War in a classical context
Grievances, agendas, and methods
Old, new, and strange alliances
Part two: AIR. Air power revolution
From Poland to the Pacific
New terrors from above
Part three: WATER. Ships and strategies
From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean
A vast ocean
Part four: EARTH. Primacy of infantry
Soldiers and armies
Western and eastern wars for the continent
Armies abroad
Sieges
Part five: FIRE. Tanks and artillery
Part six: PEOPLE. Supreme command
Warlords
Workers
Dead
Part seven: ENDS. Why and what did the allies win?
- Notes
-
Includes bibliographical references (pages 595-632) and index.
Part one: IDEAS. War in a classical context -- Grievances, agendas, and methods -- Old, new, and strange alliances -- Part two: AIR. Air power revolution -- From Poland to the Pacific -- New terrors from above -- Part three: WATER. Ships and strategies -- From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean -- A vast ocean -- Part four: EARTH. Primacy of infantry -- Soldiers and armies -- Western and eastern wars for the continent -- Armies abroad -- Sieges -- Part five: FIRE. Tanks and artillery -- Part six: PEOPLE. Supreme command -- Warlords -- Workers -- Dead -- Part seven: ENDS. Why and what did the allies win?
