The Storm of War

The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War by Andrew Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every year there are another dozen books about World War II, with maybe one or two worth reading. The Storm of War is a new history, as the subtitle points out, and with large numbers of government records, oral histories, and private papers being released all the time a "new" history can bring a good deal of evidence to back up a new interpretation. Andrew Roberts' book does just that.

Another thing his book does is to put the emphasis on the eastern front that it deserves. I tend to read about the western front and pay little attention to the war in the Pacific and none at all to the horrors the Russians were undergoing for years while their allies decided whether and when to open a western front. Meanwhile the Russians lost millions a year in grim battles, many of which they "won" but at a tremendous cost.

Roberts' book has appeared on the New York Times list of the 100 best books of 2011, and deservedly so. Here's what they say about it: "In a clear, accessible account of the war in all its theaters, Roberts asks how the Wehrmacht, the best fighting force, wound up losing."

That is true, and the clarity of the prose and balance between the east, west, and Pacific makes it a good choice for someone new to the history of what is increasingly coming to be considered the second half of the Great War that began in 1914. I wish this book had been around when I was in high school and was first becoming really interested in WW II.

2011  No 135

Comments

[Barbara]

I enjoy Andrew Roberts' books. Ludicrously, he's not that much appreciated here because he's perceived as being right wing.

[Mary]

Barbara, How interesting that Roberts should be seen as political. I thought the book was unbiased and I was impressed with the sources he cited for what he told us. Both PW and Library Journal gave the book a starred review, and they tend to be fairly liberal in which books they review and whom they assign them to. I haven't read any of Roberts' other books. Time to look them up.

[Barbara]

Eminent Churchillians is very interesting.

[Mary]

Thanks for the recommendation, Barbara. I've ordered a copy from abe.com.