World War II: Roots and Causes

by Keith Eubank (Introduction)

Topics of focus include the problem of historical context, the tension between traditional and revisionist viewpoints, the question of Allied appeasement, the failure of intelligence-gathering, the Soviet role, and the place of the Holocaust in accounts of the causes of World War II.

Genres: Nonfiction

326 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Anthony Mercando · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this the other day. It's an excellent compilation of all sides of the story with a good mix of competing views. Some segments shined through more than others, but on the whole if you want an in-depth look at the political actions and decisions made leading up to the single most devastating war in human history, this is a good place to start. However, as it is a compilation of mostly scholarly essays/passages, sometimes it reads rather stiffly.

[Tammie Chunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot was said

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book examines the historiography behind World War 2. It looks at all aspects of the buildup and focuses on areas that are of key importance. This book can give a clear sense of the debates that historians are having over the issues such as the role of foreign intelligence (Great Britain and France) or the understanding of Stalin in preparing for war and an alliance with Germany. Germany?s own internal problems are also

addressed and issues such as Hitler and the Holocaust are examined with others. The diplomatic efforts of Germany in the Ribbentrop era are of particular interest and this book does an excellent job of analyzing them. If you are trying to understand where the research in World War 2 has gotten too this is an essential book. It is very well done and although a third edition would be nice it still has the relevant arguments lined up

and touched upon. This is meant to be a book that introduces you to the issues and not a definitive account of how World War 2 began. For those into scholarly history or World War 2 this is a great book to have.