At the conclusion of WW II Winston Churchill was asked how
he expected to be treated by the future historians of that war. His answer was very well
for the reason that he intended to write it himself. Which he did in several
well written volumes, all of which I read.
And hundreds of other books on the subject ranging from overall
histories, to specific battles, individual units, nations, weapons, memoirs, biographies and on and on ad infinitum. And now there is a recent book with a fresh
and new appeal. The book is English author Andrew
Roberts The Storm of War.
Roberts, a biographer as well as a historian, is a great
writer story teller in the more recent style of commercially successful
historians. We get the details old and
newly discovered but not too many to make it boring or tedious. All this by
telling the story in terms of great and/or interesting
personalities and high drama. I might also add the book is “only” six
hundred pages long which is amazing considering that it's complete and coherent. It
is hard to imagine a better-told military history of World War II.
If you don’t know as much about World War II as you think
you ought to, or if you want a good, clear picture of how and why it took place
as it did and want it in a single book, The Storm of War is as good as it gets.
Roberts’ chapter on the Holocaust, for
example, is brilliant and harrowing, he leaves nothing out, but he manages to
get it all into 30 pages: a miracle. I definitely recommend it. 
I always wish my Dad had talked more and I had listened harder and he had documented his stories of WWII.
ReplyDeleteYour review of this book has certainly made me feel I would enjoy the read !
ReplyDeleteI think even "I" would like to read this book. I know my husband would!
ReplyDeleteSounds real good
ReplyDeleteGreat review --and it looks like a good read... I may order it for hubby since he is the 'reader' in the family. He is a history-lover ---so I'm sure he'd enjoy this one.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
Love history so I may give this a read. Thanks for the intriguing review.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of Churchill's mind and wit. He is on my list of living or dead persons I'd like to spend the day with.
Sounds like I need to read that one:)
ReplyDeleteMy husband has read tons of book on WWII and I will definitely pick up this one for him.
ReplyDeleteI'll look this one up. It sounds like a good one.
ReplyDeleteWell, on your recommendation, I will consider it. I love to read novels, historical fiction, biography, and etc. about WWII. I don't know that I am up for 600 pages on the battles and etc., but I do see the need to get a better picture of it all.
ReplyDeleteThis past winter, I read No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book narrative is a little over 600 pages, and it gave me a better perspective on the "home front" during the Roosevelt years than I had before I read it. It also helped me to understand the Roosevelts better also. I have read biographies on Eleanor. Even so, this book really helped me see the timeline on things better during the war. Have you read it?
WWII is our favorite study. We will for sure look into this book.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
Carla
I lived through that war and still tell tales about it. However, my experiences were those of young girl enjoying life in the air raid shelters. Oh the parties we had! Nevertheless I shall look out for the book and read about our history.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds well done. Steve has read all of the Churchill books. I'll have to get him this one.
ReplyDeleteI will check this book out. I got the last of the Churchill biographies that had been written by William Manchester. I had enjoyed the first two very much. Apparently, Manchester lost his mojo before his death and gave his notes to Paul Reid, who finished it. I haven't read it yet, but I read reviews that criticized the historicity of the book.
ReplyDeleteSo I will check this one out--maybe it will be a better source. I to greatly admire Churchill, though he wouldn't stand a chance in today's toxic political environment.
I will send your recommendation on to my oldest son who is fascinated with WW II. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDelete