First published 2011
Andrew Roberts tackles the largest conflict in human history by asking why the Axis powers failed. The war consumed 2,174 days, devoured $1.5 trillion, and killed over 50 million people. Roberts argues that flawed strategy doomed Germany, Italy, and Japan from the start. He traces the conflict across every theater, from the Western Front to North Africa, from the Baltic to the Pacific. The author walked key battlefields in Russia, France, Italy, Germany, and Asia to understand how geography shaped outcomes. He uncovered previously unpublished documents, including a letter from Hitler's military operations chief explaining why German tanks stopped outside Dunkirk, allowing British evacuation. Roberts examines major figures on both sides and reveals how they made crucial decisions. He weaves together stories of unknown individuals whose experiences show both extraordinary courage and terrible cruelty. The book demonstrates how strategic mistakes by Axis leadership made their defeat inevitable despite early victories.
Genres: history, 20th-century, world-war-ii, non-fiction, military-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-events
Setting: Dunkirk, Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Asia
Period: 20th-century
712 pages · Hardcover · Harper