As Richard Overy makes clear, the Allied victory in 1945
- though comprehensive
- was far from inevitable. By 1942 almost the entire resources of continental Europe were in German hands & Japan had wiped out the western colonial presence in Asia. Democracy appeared to have had its day.
Overy provides a re-interpretation of the war through an account of the decisive military campaigns that created the astonishing revival in Allied fortunes. He also explores the deeper factors that determined success & failure: industrial strength, fighting ability, the skills of leaders & the moral contrasts between the two sides.
Today the modern world is once more in the throes of painful transformation. It is essential to establish why & how the last great war was won. Richard Overy casts a brilliant light on the most important turning-point of the modern age.