Gerhard Weinberg fled Germany at the end of 1938 and experienced the first year of World War II – including the beginning of the Blitz – in England. He completed his PhD after serving in the US Army of Occupation in Japan, researched the captured German documents, established the program for microfilming them, and after writing an analysis of the origins of World War II decided to prepare a book covering the war as a whole.
I wrote...
A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II
By
Gerhard Weinberg
What is my book about?
This is the first general history of World War II to be based both on the existing literature and on extensive work in British, American, and German archives. It covers all the theaters of war, the weaponry used, and developments on the home front. Taking a global perspective, the work deals with all belligerents and relates events in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific to each other. The role of diplomacy and strategy, of intelligence and espionage, and the impact of war upon society are all dealt with, often on the basis of hitherto unknown material. New light is shed on the actions of great and small powers and on topics ranging from the beginning of the war to the dropping of the atomic bombs; the titanic battles on the Eastern Front are fitted into the war as a whole; the killing of six million Jews and millions of others is placed into context, and the fighting at sea and in the air is included in a coherent view of the great conflict.
When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.
The Books I Picked & Why
Stumbling Colossus: The Red Army on the Eve of World War
By
David M. Glantz
Why this book?
A truly extraordinary examination of the army that would do a majority of the fighting and suffer as well as inflict the largest portion of the military casualties of the European part of World War II. The "Bibliographic Essay and Selective Bibliography" is extraordinarily helpful in its account of the fate of Soviet archives and publications over the years.
When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.
Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East
By
David Stahel
Why this book?
The author provides an analysis of the initial stages of the fighting on the Eastern Front that effectively revises several of the prior generally accepted views of that critical portion of the war. Here is one book that extensively utilizes German sources without becoming enslaved by them as too many works appear to become.
When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.
Emperor Hirohito and the Pacific War
By
Noriko Kawamura
Why this book?
At last (2015) there is a balanced and carefully researched study of a central figure in the modern history of Japan and the war in the Pacific. The substantial utilization and integration of Japanese sources enhances the work but does not lead to any distortion of the real picture.
When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.
Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle
By
Richard B. Frank
Why this book?
The author provides a most thoughtful and well-presented coverage of the longest battle of the Pacific War and of American history. Covering a war in a part of the world that very few are acquainted with, the author has enhanced his account with a large number of maps that truly help to orient the reader.
When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.
MacArthur at War: World War II in the Pacific
By
Walter R. Borneman
Why this book?
In view of the numerous controversies and varied views of General MacArthur’s actions and policies in the Pacific War, it is great to have a balanced and very carefully researched and presented account of a commander who was in it from Japan’s attack on the United States to Japan’s surrender. While dealing fairly with some of the criticisms of the general, Borneman does note his repeated announcements of battles being ended when they were not as well as the hopeless incompetence of his intelligence chief.
