The Second World War - Softcover

"[John Keegan] has a remarkable capacity to appreciate both the political context of the war and its immediate meaning for those caught in the heat of battle... Lucid, informed and authoritative" (Sunday Times)

"In this magnificently illustrated volume, our most original military historian gives the whys and wherefores of war as well as the blood and guts." (Mail on Sunday)

"John Keegan's history of World War II stands above the competition" (Preview)

"A graceful writer as well as a knowledgeable student of martial history, [Keegan] enlivens his chronicle with wry wit... An informed and informative accounting of a horrific war" (Kirkus Reviews)

In this comprehensive history, John Keegan explores both the technical and the human impact of the greatest war of all time. He focuses on five crucial battles and offers new insights into the distinctive methods and motivations of modern warfare. In knowledgable, perceptive analysis of the airborne battle of Crete, the carrier battle of Midway, the tank battle of Falaise, the city battle of Berlin, and the amphibious battle of Okinawa, Keegan illuminates the strategic dilemmas faced by the leaders and the consequences of their decisions on the fighting men and the course of the war as a whole.