The Second World War Volume I

Synopsis

“The best available history of the subject” is how the Times Literary Supplement (London) described the original French edition of this book. And Professor Michel, as President of the International Historical Committee for the Second World War and for the past twenty years Secretary-General of the French Historical Committee for the Second World War, was certainly uniquely qualified to produce the authoritative work on the second “war to end all wars.” The Second World War was an unprecedented event. Starting as a European conflict on the established pattern, it eventually became the first war to involve every continent and, in the case of the Pacific, war between continents. The use of air and sea power and the advance of technology made it the first conflict in which civilians were in the front line, and in which the distinction between combatants and noncombatants was almost erased. To a hitherto unknown degree it was also an economic struggle, decided in the end not by individual or collective skill or valor but by the balance of resources available to the participants. The last factor is most clearly evident in the long-term consequences of the war. As Professor Michel demonstrates, it is now clear that the Second World War was the swan song of the European hegemony. Europe, for centuries the begetter of nations and the master of empires, entered the conflict with the trappings, if not the substance, of world leadership. In 1945, however, it was clear that the victory had been won by the resources and manpower of the United States and the Soviet Union, and that the age of the superpowers had dawned. The nations of Europe were physically battered and economically crippled. They had lost their place in the front rank; their empires were doomed; their political and economic power destroyed. Moreover, the two superpowers were now directly involved in European affairs and would henceforth hold the whip hand in deciding the outcome of European conflicts. Professor Michel’s handling of his vast subject and its themes is masterly. The narrative is fluent and lucid, the analysis clear and brilliantly argued. He does full justice to the subject and leaves the reader with an understanding of an immensely comple perio that is in itself a tribute to the author’s skill. The Second World War is amply supplemented with maps, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index, and the translation by Douglas Parmee of Queens’ College, Cambridge University, renders with admirable clarity the original’s mastery of style and subject.

Copyright:

1975

Book Details

Book Quality:

Excellent

Book Size:

544 Pages

Publisher:

PRAEGER PUBLISHERS Inc.

Date of Addition:

04/30/21

Copyrighted By:

André Deutsch

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Military, Nonfiction

Submitted By:

Larry Lumpkin

Proofread By:

mvogel

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.

Translator:

Douglas Parmee