The Second World War (2): Europe 1939-1943

World War 2 The book was about why and how the world war started. It also shows the conflicts and the reason they built the "Iron curtain". It shows some of the people who were involved in the world war. It shows many of the reasons that Japan attack us. It also shows the problems that many different countries had with us and others. It shows why the United States got involved in the world war. The book shows how long the war took and how many presidents their were during the world war. It also shows the first rocket that Russia sent in to space to spy on us it was called "Spudneck". It shows the first atomic bombs and how the Soviet Union used Spudneck to find out how to make a nuclear bomb. It shows how the iron curtain affected the United States and the Soviet Union it affected them because the Soviet Union couldn't control on half and it affected the United States because the couldn't help the people on the west side because the Soviet Union thought that the United States was going to attack Russia so they went Germany and built the iron curtain so that the United States couldn't attack them. It also shows this plan to help the west side with their food and their water and they had planes flying in and out with food for the people in West Germany. The book also talks about when and where the two first ever used atomic bombs it shows what plane took the two atomic bombs it shows who drove it and who created the two atomic bombs. I would give the book four and a half stars because one the book is boring in some parts and others it's exiting.

Really like the way this book was written- both very accessible yet quite sophisticated and well expressed. Main weakness is that that author had been asked to write on too many subjects in too short a volume and therefore many topics don't get sufficient coverage. As a good basic guide to this part of WWII it's pretty good!

Robin Havers has written clear and engaging description of the Second World War in Europe. It is ideal for readers looking for well-rounded account of the events from 1939 to 1943. Furthermore, Dr. Havers blows up several of the myths of the period while teasing out the key strategic lessons.This volume is the second of six covering the Second World War. (There are 70 volumes in the EH series covering wars from 400 BC to the present day.) The volumes in EH are incredibly well laid out. The pictures are stunning and the full colour maps draw you into the action. My only complaint of the series is that they do not offer tables and charts for numerical data (weapons comparisons, etc. see ¡°The Visual Display of Information¡± by Tufte.) The content is laid out the same way in each volume, with chapters discussing the chronology, combatants and how the war ended. There are also chapters discussing the daily lives of soldiers and citizens. This volume, in particular, is well worth the read. Dr. Havers gives a lucid account of the events without straying into pedantic descriptions of daily events. The book is most exciting when it dispels the myths of period (i.e. the numerical/technical superiority of German tanks) and focuses on the real reasons for the Germans success (cunning, communications and leadership style). As such, it is an excellent case study in strategy both for the military and non-military audience.No war is fought without its share of pride and folly. The author takes all the participants to task for their oversights and hubris. This schadenfreude would be all the more delightful were the consequences not so tragic.Dr. Havers, unlike many academic historians, has a light touch with personal stories in the ¡°Portrait of a Soldier¡± and ¡°Portrait of a Citizen¡± chapters. He rounds out the story of the period with a sympathetic and amusing accounts of everyday life for combatants and civilians. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in an overview of the period. I would also recommend it to general fans of strategy as it provides excellent lessons in leadership and innovation.