It is a labor of fascination to slog through this doorstop. Nothing is wasted, but there is an amazing amount of information. Two or three smaller books could easily have come from the same research.

I feel let-down by the subtitle. I wanted to hear more about the American people themselves - especially in the WWII segment. Any number of histories are available to take readers through the quarreling and intrigue at the national level, but what of the rest of us? I know my Grandma was one of thousands of "war plant" workers who deserve a little more than a few pages justifying the Rosie the Riveter campaign.

That said, there are insights into strategic decisions that I had never read or considered before. If you can devote the time to the book, I expect you will be similarly rewarded with new insights on a history you may not know as well as you think you do.