World War II: A Short History

In depth text of the events prior, during and after World War II. Starts with the Signing of the Treaty of Versailles by the "Big Three" (France, Britain and United States) and ends with the events leading to the unset of the Korean War. In the text there are numerous maps of military strategies and movements from the Mediterranean Theater Operations to Germans' Blitzkrieg. I personal recommend this prestigious text for anyone wanting an extensive academia perspective to the events, people, and situations of World War II.

The book definitely offers a good overview of the EUROPEAN part of World War II, from diplomatic, economic, military before and during the conflict. Lyons offers a balanced view of conflict and that would both be suitable for academics and general readers alike. Lyons' style also provide the wealth of information in an interesting way.However, Lyons' spent most of its time on Europe and overlooks the World War II outside the Western Hemisphere. It would be easy to overlook that China and Japan has already began fighting in July 1937, over two years before Germany invaded Poland on September 1939.

This interesting and very well written book is intended as a general text book for teaching purposes, and as such is geared to a more basic and general understanding of the broad sweep, causes, course, and effects of the Second World War than it is a revealing or thought-provoking examination or reinterpretation of all the evidence such as Weinberg's magisterial "A World At Arms" or Murray and Millet's comprehensive "A War To Be Won". That being said, it is indeed an excellent text, now in its third edition. Written by author Michael J. Lyons, it comprises a very readable overview of every salient aspect in the war, albeit briefly, in all the political, diplomatic, economic, military and human dimensions in which the war was played out. Not only does it quite adequately detail the significant events precipitating the conflict, but also describes very well the manifest consequences of the defeat of both Germany and Japan. Lyons gives us a reader-friendly account of both European and Pacific campaigns, and provides a lot of interesting and useful connections between the two fronts. Long in use, the book is generally regarded as being quite literate and yet eminently readable, hence its wide use in college classrooms. The text not only provides the kind of comprehensive overview students need to make sense of such an overwhelming historical phenomenon as WWII, but also serves to illuminate the mechanics behind the origins, course, and consequent long-term effects of that war, providing a well reasoned and balanced overview that while uncontroversial, also pulls few punches regarding causes and effects. I would recommend its purchase for anyone wanting a nice hardbound overview that is easy to read and also relatively kind to one's limited resources. Enjoy

This text was required for one of my history classes. It is short,succinct, and loaded with valuable maps and photographs. I would highly recommend this text for anyone looking for a comprehensive overview of World War II. Lyons is a skilled, accessable author with a gift for making oft-reported information fresh and exciting.