The Second World War; John Keegan

From Publishers Weekly

This account of WW II, though controversial, is rich in fresh perception, interpretation and opinion. In addition to penning a fast-paced campaign chronicle, Keegan ( The Mask of Command ) makes a convincing case for the prime motivations of Allied and Axis leaders, pinpoints the practical results of Allied summit conferences and defines the war's geopolitical dimensions. He maintains that Stalin's purge of the Soviet high command was beneficial in certain respects, and explains why Guadalcanal was a cheap victory for the U.S. Keegan argues that Churchill's hope that resistance forces would "set ablaze" Europe was a romantic notion, and that the British "descended to the enemy's level" in the strategic bombing of Germany. Most provocative are his comments on Roosevelt: while many historians would agree that FDR was the most enigmatic of the war's major figures, few will concur that his policies were "profoundly ambiguous." Photos. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
 

From Library Journal

In contrast to Martin Gilbert's broader The Second World War ( reviewed in this issue, p.101), Keegan's work is more a battle campaign. His strength as a military historian ( The Face of Battle, The Price of Admiralty ) is in his ability to synthesize the order of battle without getting bogged down in minutae. The mighty German-Russian struggles are well covered, as is the war in the Pacific. While Robert Leckie's Delivered from Evil: The Saga of World War II ( LJ 9/1/87) is nearly twice as long as Keegan's book, integrates biographical material into the narrative, and is less analytical than Keegan's, Keegan's is extremely well written; the reader can almost visualize the movement of an army without looking at the maps. On another level, however, Keegan tends to be simplistic (e.g., in his discussion of the causes of World War II, in his view that the war would have come even without Hitler) and skim over many topics. Nevertheless, academic and larger public libraries will find this in demand. Recommended. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/89.
- Robert Jordan, Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City


Six Armies in Normandy : From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris; John Keegan
Times Atlas of the Second World War; John Keegan
Who's Who in World War II; John Keegan


The Battle for History : Re-Fighting World War II; John Keegan


The Great Battles and Leaders of the Second World War : An Illustrated History; Winston S. Churchill, John Keegan
 

John Ellis

• One Day in a Very Long War
• The Sharp Edge
• Brute Force
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