Product Description

An authoritative account of the Second World War by one of the greatest living military historians

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #511988 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 857 pages

From the Publisher
Amanda Foreman explains why this is one of her favourites...
There are so many good books on World War II, but Gilbert’s stands out for two reasons.

First, as Winston Churchill’s biographer, Gilbert is the only historian in the world to have had complete access to all his papers. This gives a depth and insight into the War from Britain’s perspective that many other books lack.

But perhaps more importantly, Second World War has a profound humanity. Unlike most war historians, Gilbert is also a specialist in the holocaust, and he put his intimate knowledge of individual case histories to use while writing the book. While describing the German onslaught through town and countryside, Gilbert is also able to highlight the fate of individuals – a twelve-year-old boy named Laslo taken out and shot, the Goldschmid family obliterated.

It is Gilbert’s broad vision that makes this book a classic.

About the Author
Stephen Ambrose is the author of numerous books of history, including the New York Times bestsellers Undaunted Courage, D-Day and Citizen Soldiers, as well as the multi-volume biographies of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. He is founder of the Eisenhower Center and President of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. He lives in Mississippi and Montana, US.

Customer Reviews

The most gripping book I've read in the last 5 years
The best thing about this book is that it is pure, unadulterated narrative. Symptomatic of Gilbert's approach is the way the very first lines of the book throw us straight in at the point Germany attacked Poland Sep 1, 1939. There's no long drawn out preamble or musings on the why and wherefores; you can find that in other books. Gilbert's approach is completely chronological, flitting from one theatre of war to another. His style is unobtrusive- as it should be- but elegant enough, and always authoritative. He wisely lets the facts speak for themselves - the horrors of the holocaust, the savagery and scale of the war between Russia and Germany, the amazing suicidal tactics of the Japanese in countless Pacific islands. These are so amazing in themselves that the narrative holds you breathless over 700 pages. I was flabbergasted by this book. I am not given to hyperbole but I am tempted to say this book changed my life; it certainly changed my views on human beings, history, politics and war.

One of the most in depth books ever
An very intersting book which educates you on many aspects of the second world war especially the pace at which it was carried out, and the human loss involved. The persecution of the jews is shown in all the horror it deserves

Both a Global and Personal view
Sir Martin Gilberts masterful account of the history of the second world war. What makes this history so different from the others is the way in which Sir Martin can switch from the story of an entire offensive onslaught to tell the story of a single young private and his experience of that same battle. Somehow the results of the actions or the death of a single person or group of people can be so much more effective in explaining the true glory of war, or in debunking the great myth of the glory of war depending on your viewpoint. Sir Martin can and does give examples of both. The historical facts are still there, but so also is the humanity, with both of it's faces showing. A book for anyone with an interest in the Second World War who doesn't want just facts and casualty figures.

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