World War 2: Europe and Mediterranean

It is not needed such as the maps book is, but it deliver the merchandise for the price. Rather short on some action, this books attempt too much in many ways. It is still a easy book to read, that will accommodate the fast reader that wants to follow a story without stopping to much on the details.

The West Point Word War II series is one of the best sources of history on the Second World War. The Atlases associated with each volume are a must because the text refers to them frequently. The writing style is not overly technical and explains the foundations of military doctrine followed by the respective combatants in prosecuting the conflict. The authors are able to point out the fundamental errors made by each side, the results of those miscalculations and what adjustments (if any) were made. The correct deductions are also put on display for the reader. And the authors manage to make the conflict dramatic in a professional way. For example, at the battle of Midway the Americans had put all their critical assets at risk. If all the US carriers were lost the situation in the Pacific would have been ruinous. The authors clearly point out that the Japanese fleet was overwhelming, and properly used could not have lost that battle. The American command was counting on Japanese mistakes, and the Japanese made them.Thus, the West Point historians have injected the true drama of the situation in June of 1942. A lot was on the line and the history of WWII would have been far different if the US admirals had made the mistakes instead of the Japanese.The entire series is filled with this kind of drama.The background sections which cover the road to WWII is thought provoking and shows how the outcome of the war, in many respects, was determined prior to the start of hostilities. The books cover the mental attitudes that contributed to the start of the war and the course of the conflict.The series isn't perfect. The US Army writers find a little time to subtly criticize some actions of the US Navy and US Marines. They seem to like implying the Marines were getting a lot of publicity for doing the same thing the Army was doing. This is a very minor criticism and such minor diversions do not detract at all from the superlative standards set by this very complete history.Anyone interested in WWII, its causes, conduct and outcomes, must read this set (one book covers the Pacific war and the other the European war - and there is an atlas for each of these volumes for a total of 4 books).

This book is one of the best of the whole West Point series. The authors have found a way to describe an analyse historical events in detail and in a very serious way, yet the book is never boring nor exceedingly academic. The readers feels like a junior officer in a staff HQ and witnesses key decisions being made. A brilliant and innovative book, maybe a little too centered on the role of the United States. The Atlas is a useful complement, and reading the two in parallel is invaluable. Probably one of the best tools to understand WWII ever designed.