The World War II Desk Reference

More than 12 million American men and women entered the U.S. armed forces during World War II, and millions more worked and sacrificed at home to help the Allied cause to defeat the Axis powers. At... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785824278
• ISBN13: 9780785824275
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Castle Books
• Length: 572 Pages
• Weight: 2.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 2.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

WWII Desk Reference

Excellent for what it is intended as a ready reference, It is not something that you would want to read from cover to cover.

Takes on a lot of information in a small volume

Brinkley says that this book "more than fills the bill. It explains in clear, unadorned prose, backed by rosters of statistics, time lines, and thumbnail sketches, the global cataclysm that was World War II." And Haskew says it " ....is designed as a resource for both the novice and the experienced student of the war.....this book is arranged by theme. It is not intended to serve as a chronological narrative of world war II....." The authors said they wrote this because there was nothing out there that covered the era in a style of a handy reference. I think this Reference is excellent for the beginning student and will complement the more extensive historical library. It is detailed and sometimes repetitive but not exhaustively. Interspersed throughout are eyewitness reports quoted from multiple individuals from both sides. All the world players are given ample pages. Also it is loaded with charts and maps, although the maps are not overused. The category listings are alphabetical, though I would of preferred a time-scale in some instances. Covered are major land, sea, and air engagements and lists of the casualties. The book covers influential officers and soldiers, and also the equipment (arms) used, from the horses to the atomic bomb. The Reference even goes as far as discussing the intelligence, espionage, and propaganda that was used. The book gives us an idea of what life was like on the home front and mans' inhumanity against man----the atrocities. It goes on to discuss the aftermath and how the war changed the face of the world. The arts, books, and films that came out of the war are also covered. (How Hollywood has changed since then.) Near the end is a wealth of further related topics, memorials, and finally a glossary of terms. The causes for the second world war were many, ultimately it came down to the fighting men. In an age of economic crisis the peoples' resolve and massive production efforts are mind boggling, even today. In times of strife the people sometimes choose a leader they think will solve their problems, often at the cost of their liberties or economic destruction. Post-war brought in two income families and new roles for woman; both a blessing and a curse. Wish you well Scott

excellent reference

An excellent reference book that I have used countless times to quickly find information, which would have otherwise taken me a very long time to find. The book is very well organized into helpful sections. A must have for anyone interested in WWII

The World War II Desk Reference

At last! A reference that includes all the major topics relating to World War II and not just the military and political history. I was 10 when Germany entered Poland and 16 when the war ended. Yet, at that young age, I followed the war assiduously. I listened to nightly newscasts and read the local newspaper accounts, even making scrapbooks of the war's progress. The Desk Reference of World War II recently published by Harper Collins is the best single reference to that epochal struggle. There have been many books published on the years 1939 to 1945, many dealing with the military campaigns and other with the causes or other specific aspects of the war. This book is not a narrative,although some chapters chronicle the material in story form. Rather, it is a reference; and what a reference it is. The 33 maps are excellent and easily followed. Numerous tables detail a wealth of information. Whatever topic of the war interests you, you will probably find it here. Timelines outline the major events from 1918 to 1950, the political history from 1918 to 1945, and the holocaust. The causes of the war are discussed. Other chapters relate how the countries -- allies and axis -- paid for the war. Treaties, pacts, alliances, charters, and conferences describe how the countries of europe made decisions relating to peace and war, land and aid from Versailles at the end of world War I to the end of the second World War.Brief accounts sketch the politicians, dictators, military personnel, spies, and propagandists on both sides of the war. Maps, tables, and narrative provide an excellent overview of the military campaigns in Europe, Africa, and Asia. It's all here: military arms and eqjuipment, how the home front in the major participating countries of the war coped and maintained morale. This book even deals with the arts: books, films, songs, visual art, and entertainers.Perhaps the most enlightening feature of this volume is its equal treatment of both protagonists and antagonists. Anyone interested in World War II will want to add this volume to their library and refer to it frequently.