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The World at War
Cover worn, owner's inscription, page edges tanned. Shipped from the U.K. All orders received before 3pm sent that weekday.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
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173 people want to read
About the author
Mark Arnold-Forster
3 books4 followersMark Arnold-Forster, DSO, DSC was an English journalist and author who is best remembered for his book The World at War, which accompanied the 1973 television series of the same name. Mark Arnold-Forster served throughout the Second World War. He was the grandson of Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster and Mary Lucy Story-Maskelyn Arnold-Forster.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 6, 2016
I probably would not have watched this documentary had not Wastrel praised it as “the best television series ever made.” This bald statement prompted me to get my hands on it as soon as I could; and I am happy to report that, if not the best ever, The World at War is undoubtedly in the running. (As in several other of my reviews, here I’m focusing on the documentary series and not on the companion book.)
Consisting of 26 episodes, each about 50 minutes long, The World at War traces the history of the Second World War from its beginnings to its aftermath. The program is remarkable in scope, covering the relevant political history of the United States, England, Germany, and Japan; the war efforts in north Africa and southeast Asia; the Russian and the Western front, as well as the final push against Japan; the bombing campaigns and their effects on civilian life; the horrors of the Holocaust; the struggles of the Allied shipping fleet against the German U-boats; the final peace negotiations in Europe and Asia, and the concomitant haggling between the U.S.S.R. and the West; and much else.
But the series has depth as well as breadth. There are hours and hours of archival footage—of battles, bombings, bombardments, protests, speeches, life on the front line, civilian life, negotiations, military parades, invasions, celebrations, triumphs, massacres, tragedies—much of it never used before, unearthed by the program’s research team.
Even more impressively, there are hours of interview footage, from Poles, Russians, French, Germans, English, Americans, Japanese. There are interviews of gunners, tank crew, infantrymen, sailors, pilots; interviews of housewives, firefighters, barmen, taxi drivers, resistance fighters; as well as of politicians, advisors, generals, and even Hitler’s personal secretary and chauffeur. Considering that these interviews were made specifically for the series, from people directly involved in the action, this makes the raw footage (most of it unused) a valuable primary historical document.
And this is not to mention the wonderful narration by Laurence Olivier, which is always tasteful, often moving, and sometimes chilling.
In short, the documentary is a masterpiece, bringing the drama of the war to life while also being supremely informative. If you want to watch any documentary about World War II, make it this one.
To speak personally, watching this documentary had a strange effect on me, because it made me realize how much my perspective has changed since I was a kid. Back then, I used to watch World War II documentaries because the war seemed like a comic book. It was a story with clear bad guys and good guys, and the good guys won in the end. It was a story of personal heroism and bravery, of self-sacrifice and honor, of hardships endured and battles fought for the greater good. I was even fascinated with the military technology, the tanks, war planes, battleships, and guns. I remember going to the military museum at West Point, and seeing replicas of the nuclear bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There was something undeniably awe-inspiring about the ability to create so much destruction, to wield so much power.
This time around, I had a different reaction. The more I watched, the more I became overwhelmed with a sense of pointless loss, destruction, and violence. Millions of young men marching off to shoot other young men, and for what? Towns blown to pieces, cities burned to the ground, and most of all, countless lives lost. People shot, stabbed, drowned, burned; people executed by firing squad, hanging, the gas chamber. Beaches filled with bloated bodies, corpses rotting in the road, the remains of grandparents and grandchildren buried under piles of rubble. And it just kept going, the planes kept dropping bombs, the men kept throwing grenades, the tanks kept rolling on. By the end of the series, every episode made me feel sick.
When you see the numbers of the dead, it’s easy to grow numb. The totals become mere, meaningless statistics. But when you realize that those millions were composed of individuals—people with their own favorite song to whistle, shade of blue, local restaurant; people with their own quirks of personality, their own flaws and virtues; people who were loved and who loved in return; people who might have done anything had they survived the war—the enormity of the tragedy dawns on you. No matter what the aggressors hoped to gain from the war, no matter how glorious it seemed, it could not have been worth it.
The documentary does not shy away from the horrors of war, but dwells on them, and for good reason. For if there is any lesson to be learned from World War II, it is simply this: We must do everything in our power to avoid repeating that catastrophe.
Consisting of 26 episodes, each about 50 minutes long, The World at War traces the history of the Second World War from its beginnings to its aftermath. The program is remarkable in scope, covering the relevant political history of the United States, England, Germany, and Japan; the war efforts in north Africa and southeast Asia; the Russian and the Western front, as well as the final push against Japan; the bombing campaigns and their effects on civilian life; the horrors of the Holocaust; the struggles of the Allied shipping fleet against the German U-boats; the final peace negotiations in Europe and Asia, and the concomitant haggling between the U.S.S.R. and the West; and much else.
But the series has depth as well as breadth. There are hours and hours of archival footage—of battles, bombings, bombardments, protests, speeches, life on the front line, civilian life, negotiations, military parades, invasions, celebrations, triumphs, massacres, tragedies—much of it never used before, unearthed by the program’s research team.
Even more impressively, there are hours of interview footage, from Poles, Russians, French, Germans, English, Americans, Japanese. There are interviews of gunners, tank crew, infantrymen, sailors, pilots; interviews of housewives, firefighters, barmen, taxi drivers, resistance fighters; as well as of politicians, advisors, generals, and even Hitler’s personal secretary and chauffeur. Considering that these interviews were made specifically for the series, from people directly involved in the action, this makes the raw footage (most of it unused) a valuable primary historical document.
And this is not to mention the wonderful narration by Laurence Olivier, which is always tasteful, often moving, and sometimes chilling.
In short, the documentary is a masterpiece, bringing the drama of the war to life while also being supremely informative. If you want to watch any documentary about World War II, make it this one.
To speak personally, watching this documentary had a strange effect on me, because it made me realize how much my perspective has changed since I was a kid. Back then, I used to watch World War II documentaries because the war seemed like a comic book. It was a story with clear bad guys and good guys, and the good guys won in the end. It was a story of personal heroism and bravery, of self-sacrifice and honor, of hardships endured and battles fought for the greater good. I was even fascinated with the military technology, the tanks, war planes, battleships, and guns. I remember going to the military museum at West Point, and seeing replicas of the nuclear bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There was something undeniably awe-inspiring about the ability to create so much destruction, to wield so much power.
This time around, I had a different reaction. The more I watched, the more I became overwhelmed with a sense of pointless loss, destruction, and violence. Millions of young men marching off to shoot other young men, and for what? Towns blown to pieces, cities burned to the ground, and most of all, countless lives lost. People shot, stabbed, drowned, burned; people executed by firing squad, hanging, the gas chamber. Beaches filled with bloated bodies, corpses rotting in the road, the remains of grandparents and grandchildren buried under piles of rubble. And it just kept going, the planes kept dropping bombs, the men kept throwing grenades, the tanks kept rolling on. By the end of the series, every episode made me feel sick.
When you see the numbers of the dead, it’s easy to grow numb. The totals become mere, meaningless statistics. But when you realize that those millions were composed of individuals—people with their own favorite song to whistle, shade of blue, local restaurant; people with their own quirks of personality, their own flaws and virtues; people who were loved and who loved in return; people who might have done anything had they survived the war—the enormity of the tragedy dawns on you. No matter what the aggressors hoped to gain from the war, no matter how glorious it seemed, it could not have been worth it.
The documentary does not shy away from the horrors of war, but dwells on them, and for good reason. For if there is any lesson to be learned from World War II, it is simply this: We must do everything in our power to avoid repeating that catastrophe.
September 8, 2019
This narrative makes for compelling reading both in it's combined sweep and attention to detail. The author covers World War II from a military and political point of view, from the rise of Hitler to the war's aftermath. This book was written to accompany the television series of the same name and i s a series of accounts of individual campaigns, rather than chronological series. The book covers interesting facts such as the mention of how the war nourished important technological and social developments- American technicians desperate to break Japanese codes developed the ancestors of today's computers. In 1942 the Japanese captured the world's only source of quinine and inadvertently helped the British to develop the cure for malaria.
In Chapter 1 we read of Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policy and that Chamberlain and his Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax actually planned to make a deal with Nazi Germany in 1940 after the war had started, whereby Britain would sue for peace. This was of course scuppered by the taking over of the helm of the intrepid Winston Churchill. In the chapter on the Greek and Yugoslav campaign Arnold-Foster points out that the Yugoslav revolt against Nazi occupation and the British landing in Yugoslavia in May, 1941pushed the date of the German invasion of the Soviet Union until June 22 1941 putting the Nazis at a considerable disadvantage, causing them to fight the Soviets in the dead of the Russian winter which had also been the undoing of course of Napoleon.
Hitler saw the Slavs as subhuman, only slightly less obnoxious than the Jews, and this is what motivated his sudden invasion of Russia. While most of the Russians were not ferevent Communists, they were all strong patriots and this is what rallied them together to fight the war under Stalin against the Nazi invasion. The Nazi invasion of rRussia cost 20 million Russian lives. Interesting accounts of the Battle of Britain, the North Africa Campaign, the war in Yugoslavia and Greece and the war of the allies against the Japanese in the Pacific. Hero's of the war we read about include Orde Wingate, weho rallied Ethiopain resistance units to fight the Italians in 1940 and later the Chindits in burma to fight the Japanese. Wingate had before the war helped Jewish fighters in Mandatory Palestine protect themselves from Nazi-inspired Arab terrorists.
Across half the world thee battles were fought and the death toll mounted: 20 million Russians, nearly 6 million Jews, 405 000 Americans, and 375 000 British including 60 000 civilians killed during the Nazi blitz. Fascinating accounts of Dunkirk and the Burma Campaign among others. End with the author's analysis of past war international politics. A comprehensive but concise very readable account. Also highly recommended is The Second World War: A Complete History
In Chapter 1 we read of Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policy and that Chamberlain and his Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax actually planned to make a deal with Nazi Germany in 1940 after the war had started, whereby Britain would sue for peace. This was of course scuppered by the taking over of the helm of the intrepid Winston Churchill. In the chapter on the Greek and Yugoslav campaign Arnold-Foster points out that the Yugoslav revolt against Nazi occupation and the British landing in Yugoslavia in May, 1941pushed the date of the German invasion of the Soviet Union until June 22 1941 putting the Nazis at a considerable disadvantage, causing them to fight the Soviets in the dead of the Russian winter which had also been the undoing of course of Napoleon.
Hitler saw the Slavs as subhuman, only slightly less obnoxious than the Jews, and this is what motivated his sudden invasion of Russia. While most of the Russians were not ferevent Communists, they were all strong patriots and this is what rallied them together to fight the war under Stalin against the Nazi invasion. The Nazi invasion of rRussia cost 20 million Russian lives. Interesting accounts of the Battle of Britain, the North Africa Campaign, the war in Yugoslavia and Greece and the war of the allies against the Japanese in the Pacific. Hero's of the war we read about include Orde Wingate, weho rallied Ethiopain resistance units to fight the Italians in 1940 and later the Chindits in burma to fight the Japanese. Wingate had before the war helped Jewish fighters in Mandatory Palestine protect themselves from Nazi-inspired Arab terrorists.
Across half the world thee battles were fought and the death toll mounted: 20 million Russians, nearly 6 million Jews, 405 000 Americans, and 375 000 British including 60 000 civilians killed during the Nazi blitz. Fascinating accounts of Dunkirk and the Burma Campaign among others. End with the author's analysis of past war international politics. A comprehensive but concise very readable account. Also highly recommended is The Second World War: A Complete History
April 29, 2023
The World at War: 1939-45 by 'Mark Arnold-Forster'
▪️This book is an epic and comprehensive account of one of the most tumultuous periods in world history.
▪️An in-depth look at the events that led up to the Second World War, the war itself, and its aftermath.
Style📝
🔸️Forster's writing style is engaging and accessible, making the complex events of this period easy to understand.
🔸️Detailed analysis of military and political strategy with personal accounts from soldiers, civilians, and politicians, giving readers a sense of what it was like to live through this era.
🔸️One of the strengths of this book is the way in which Arnold-Forster weaves together the different theaters of war, from the Eastern Front to the Pacific Theater.
🔹️Plus, he covers the home fronts in various countries, including the rationing, bombing, and propaganda that characterized life on the home front.
🔹️Another notable feature of "The World at War" is the author's ability to convey the horror and devastation of war without being overly graphic.
🔸️He describes the impact of bombing raids and battles in a way that is both vivid and respectful to the victims.
🔸️One of the few criticisms of this book is that it can be overwhelming at times. It is a lengthy read and may not be suitable for those looking for a quick overview of the war.
In a nutshell, the book is quite impressive and a highly recommended read for anyone interested in learning about the Second World War. It's a comprehensive, engaging, and well-researched account of this pivotal moment in world history.
▪️This book is an epic and comprehensive account of one of the most tumultuous periods in world history.
▪️An in-depth look at the events that led up to the Second World War, the war itself, and its aftermath.
Style📝
🔸️Forster's writing style is engaging and accessible, making the complex events of this period easy to understand.
🔸️Detailed analysis of military and political strategy with personal accounts from soldiers, civilians, and politicians, giving readers a sense of what it was like to live through this era.
🔸️One of the strengths of this book is the way in which Arnold-Forster weaves together the different theaters of war, from the Eastern Front to the Pacific Theater.
🔹️Plus, he covers the home fronts in various countries, including the rationing, bombing, and propaganda that characterized life on the home front.
🔹️Another notable feature of "The World at War" is the author's ability to convey the horror and devastation of war without being overly graphic.
🔸️He describes the impact of bombing raids and battles in a way that is both vivid and respectful to the victims.
🔸️One of the few criticisms of this book is that it can be overwhelming at times. It is a lengthy read and may not be suitable for those looking for a quick overview of the war.
In a nutshell, the book is quite impressive and a highly recommended read for anyone interested in learning about the Second World War. It's a comprehensive, engaging, and well-researched account of this pivotal moment in world history.
June 16, 2019
A nice little find, provides a good overview of the war, however, I found it a drag to read towards the end. Glad to say I’ve finished it
September 5, 2016
Very concise and excellent book giving the background tug-of-war in political circles. Describes the major battles with a minimum of hyperbole. Should be on everyone's reference shelf if they want to study WW2. The timeline is a wonderful reference. Very easy read. Weaknesses: Other then Yamamoto´s strategy nothing for Japan. Also very little background on China and the eastern front is from the German side with little to show the inner workings of the Red Army´s internal struggles. But this can all be attributed to the date of publication when access was limited to the author.
May 12, 2014
Nice overview of WWII...I enjoyed reading about the war from a British point of view. There was a lot of information that was new to me. Well-written and easy to read. This would be a good book for someone just starting to study WWII.
February 27, 2015
One exciting book that accounts several individual campaigns and incidents from the World War II. Written as a companion volume to the epic TV Series of the same name this book brilliantly captures some key moments from the Great War in vivid style.
April 22, 2019
Any book that can summarize World War II in 288 pages seems worth picking up to me. And author Mark Arnold-Forster makes a valiant effort to cover salient battles in each theatre.
The maps alone are well worth the book, showing the moves of each major military unit during key battles. (If you're interested, invest in the hardbound edition; the aged gray-scale paperback maps require a magnifying glass to read.) There's also a timeline summarizing events in each key theatre, and a biography of major players during the war (which regrettably does not go past the invasion of Berlin).
Arnold-Forster does an excellent job of offering, succinctly and clearly, the causes of World War II (I haven't seen it done so well anywhere else, probably thanks to the minimized space) and ensuring that events in multiple theatres are covered clearly. It's not often that you get coverage of Norway and the Philippines in the same book. He gives a nice overview of the challenges of bombing and radar development. I was also quite impressed by how, in a few short paragraphs, he was able to give a one of the most apt assessments of DeGaulle's personality ever, by describing his interaction with Churchill and Roosevelt.
Where he falls short - and here I have to admit I haven't seen the TV series on which the book is based, I'm only evaluating the book itself - is in omitting the (drivers behind and the actual) holocaust, which is only briefly included with the chapter on war casualties. He fails to mention the internment of those of Japanese descent in America (and landmark court decisions before and after), the decoding of German communications (which dramatically changed Allied efforts in the UBoat battle); the postwar trials at Nuremburg (which initiated the world's efforts to punish crimes against humanity).... just to name a few. The resistance fighters (beyond Warsaw), the unity of spirit in the Allied home front, Hitler's order to fight to the last man, the on-going occupation in Japan and the Philippines - all of these areas are topics for books in and of themselves (and have been); it's disappointing they received no mention while the division of Berlin and lowering of the Iron Curtain post-war did receive coverage.
This book is largely a highly competent summary of causes, campaigns, and consequences, with quick analysis. There's discussions of what prompted countries to fight, but not the inner conflicts. I have to applaud Arnold-Forster for being able to keep the book to the size he did (I do wish he had made more use of commas and paragraphs for easier reading, but clearly he's not a reporter). As such, it's an exceptional introduction - but not the whole story by any means. Don't let this be the end of your interest in World War II history.
The maps alone are well worth the book, showing the moves of each major military unit during key battles. (If you're interested, invest in the hardbound edition; the aged gray-scale paperback maps require a magnifying glass to read.) There's also a timeline summarizing events in each key theatre, and a biography of major players during the war (which regrettably does not go past the invasion of Berlin).
Arnold-Forster does an excellent job of offering, succinctly and clearly, the causes of World War II (I haven't seen it done so well anywhere else, probably thanks to the minimized space) and ensuring that events in multiple theatres are covered clearly. It's not often that you get coverage of Norway and the Philippines in the same book. He gives a nice overview of the challenges of bombing and radar development. I was also quite impressed by how, in a few short paragraphs, he was able to give a one of the most apt assessments of DeGaulle's personality ever, by describing his interaction with Churchill and Roosevelt.
Where he falls short - and here I have to admit I haven't seen the TV series on which the book is based, I'm only evaluating the book itself - is in omitting the (drivers behind and the actual) holocaust, which is only briefly included with the chapter on war casualties. He fails to mention the internment of those of Japanese descent in America (and landmark court decisions before and after), the decoding of German communications (which dramatically changed Allied efforts in the UBoat battle); the postwar trials at Nuremburg (which initiated the world's efforts to punish crimes against humanity).... just to name a few. The resistance fighters (beyond Warsaw), the unity of spirit in the Allied home front, Hitler's order to fight to the last man, the on-going occupation in Japan and the Philippines - all of these areas are topics for books in and of themselves (and have been); it's disappointing they received no mention while the division of Berlin and lowering of the Iron Curtain post-war did receive coverage.
This book is largely a highly competent summary of causes, campaigns, and consequences, with quick analysis. There's discussions of what prompted countries to fight, but not the inner conflicts. I have to applaud Arnold-Forster for being able to keep the book to the size he did (I do wish he had made more use of commas and paragraphs for easier reading, but clearly he's not a reporter). As such, it's an exceptional introduction - but not the whole story by any means. Don't let this be the end of your interest in World War II history.
November 29, 2025
If it was possible to give a book 3.5 stars it would apply to this. I feel like a broken record whenever I review one of these war history books but it’s honestly so amazing how much of this isn’t taught in schools or is propagandized in a way where most people don’t understand the complexities of these catastrophic events. I’m not saying I understand them entirely either, and depending on what you read from where your interpretations can be construed one way or another, but man I greatly appreciate how much I was able to learn from this book despite it being less than 300 pages. This was part of the reason why I chose this book because I felt the amount of content on WW2 is so vast that I can get a somewhat short book and still be able to learn so much through other resources available to me.
What’s fascinating about this war, as I’m sure has been repeated billions of times, is just the pure scale of it. One of the reasons I really enjoyed this read was because it took you through the buildup of fascism in 1930s Germany, to the initial operations of the N*zis throughout eastern and western Germany, the Italian military campaigns in Northern Africa as well as the brutal Japanese campaigns throughout the southeastern pacific, and how the allies formed unlikely alliances and completely re-imagined their societies to become the greatest war machines the world has ever seen to finally being able to re-conquer Europe as well as the pacific. But through all of that, there are still so much that is missed that the book touches on in later chapters such as the obvious horrors of the holocaust, the brutal occupation of Chinese civilians and other innocent people throughout Asia, the aid which was provided from British colonies to the allies, the heroism of American generals, the complex relationship between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, as well as just the amazing stories which promoted the goodness of humanity throughout the war. It’s completely understandable how after reviewing all of these different storylines entire nations can be shell shocked for generations of the horrific events of this war. The brutality was at a scale never seen before but the appreciation I have for those who risked their life to save the west and bring about an age of relative peace and prosperity the world had never seen before is admirable and another reason why I’m beyond thankful for this historical journey I’ve been on.
What’s fascinating about this war, as I’m sure has been repeated billions of times, is just the pure scale of it. One of the reasons I really enjoyed this read was because it took you through the buildup of fascism in 1930s Germany, to the initial operations of the N*zis throughout eastern and western Germany, the Italian military campaigns in Northern Africa as well as the brutal Japanese campaigns throughout the southeastern pacific, and how the allies formed unlikely alliances and completely re-imagined their societies to become the greatest war machines the world has ever seen to finally being able to re-conquer Europe as well as the pacific. But through all of that, there are still so much that is missed that the book touches on in later chapters such as the obvious horrors of the holocaust, the brutal occupation of Chinese civilians and other innocent people throughout Asia, the aid which was provided from British colonies to the allies, the heroism of American generals, the complex relationship between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, as well as just the amazing stories which promoted the goodness of humanity throughout the war. It’s completely understandable how after reviewing all of these different storylines entire nations can be shell shocked for generations of the horrific events of this war. The brutality was at a scale never seen before but the appreciation I have for those who risked their life to save the west and bring about an age of relative peace and prosperity the world had never seen before is admirable and another reason why I’m beyond thankful for this historical journey I’ve been on.
August 14, 2020
Although marketed as a companion volume to the Thames Television documentary series of the same name, Mark Arnold-Forster’s “ The World at War” is not the book of the series. It is instead a short narrative history of the war itself, and as such, it is a remarkably detailed, informative, and readable primer on that most complicated of wars.
Wisely, Mr. Arnold-Forster does not attempt a fully chronological retelling of the events, and thereby avoids the “meanwhile, back at the ranch...” structural problems such an approach invariably leads to. Instead, he approaches the subject by category. Chapters cover such things as the Fall Of France, the Battle Of Britain, the Battle Of The Atlantic, the War In the Pacific, etc, and each chapter covers that facet of the conflict in its entirety. The occasional repetition is more than compensated for by the clarity, and there is a full chronological chart in the appendix that shows what else was going on.
Overall, “The World at War” is lucid in its presentation and fair and insightful in its judgements. My only caveat is that Mr. Arnold-Forster, who is a Brit, seems overly generous in his assessment of British participants and actions; this is particularly true of his assessment of Montgomery, who is given a pass for Arnhem and for his behavior during the Bulge.
Still, this is an excellent overview of the War, and is especially laudable for getting so much into 305 pages of main text.
Wisely, Mr. Arnold-Forster does not attempt a fully chronological retelling of the events, and thereby avoids the “meanwhile, back at the ranch...” structural problems such an approach invariably leads to. Instead, he approaches the subject by category. Chapters cover such things as the Fall Of France, the Battle Of Britain, the Battle Of The Atlantic, the War In the Pacific, etc, and each chapter covers that facet of the conflict in its entirety. The occasional repetition is more than compensated for by the clarity, and there is a full chronological chart in the appendix that shows what else was going on.
Overall, “The World at War” is lucid in its presentation and fair and insightful in its judgements. My only caveat is that Mr. Arnold-Forster, who is a Brit, seems overly generous in his assessment of British participants and actions; this is particularly true of his assessment of Montgomery, who is given a pass for Arnhem and for his behavior during the Bulge.
Still, this is an excellent overview of the War, and is especially laudable for getting so much into 305 pages of main text.
May 4, 2019
This is a companion piece to the classic Thames Television documentary from 1973 - narrated by the legendary Laurence Olivier.
For a quick overview of the Second World War, this is a fine book. It discusses the causes of the war, the effects and the overall scope of the biggest fight in history. This includes the politics of alliances and breaking some of those alliances, the strategy and the tactics used by the combatants.
It's not a chronological history but broken into chapters covering the Battle of the Atlantic, North Africa and Italy, the Invasion of Russia, the Pacific war, etc. There is a timeline in the back of the book showing when individual events happened in context to events in other theaters.
As stated, this is a quick overview. the Battle for Guadalcanal was only a few pages with the wider Battle of the Solomons only a little more. D-Day, with whole volumes dedicated to the invasion of Europe, gets several more pages. If you want details of individual battles, this is not a book for you. If you want a short book to bring together just about every event and milestone in the war, this is worth a look.
For a quick overview of the Second World War, this is a fine book. It discusses the causes of the war, the effects and the overall scope of the biggest fight in history. This includes the politics of alliances and breaking some of those alliances, the strategy and the tactics used by the combatants.
It's not a chronological history but broken into chapters covering the Battle of the Atlantic, North Africa and Italy, the Invasion of Russia, the Pacific war, etc. There is a timeline in the back of the book showing when individual events happened in context to events in other theaters.
As stated, this is a quick overview. the Battle for Guadalcanal was only a few pages with the wider Battle of the Solomons only a little more. D-Day, with whole volumes dedicated to the invasion of Europe, gets several more pages. If you want details of individual battles, this is not a book for you. If you want a short book to bring together just about every event and milestone in the war, this is worth a look.
April 24, 2023
Although now 50yrs old (wow), it’s a really good read. It’s not an accompaniment to the series but it is the story of WW2 and is chaptered in the same style of the tv series. Yes some of the conclusions may now be looked at as being out of date, others have to be seen in the context as to what archival material was available then. Other stuff, is just as relevant, maybe even went out of fashion and is now back in again.
It’s a great dip your toes in WW2 read, giving you just enough on subjects to understand the big picture but also enough to intrigue you to want to read more.
Really enjoyed it.
It’s a great dip your toes in WW2 read, giving you just enough on subjects to understand the big picture but also enough to intrigue you to want to read more.
Really enjoyed it.
August 1, 2025
A comprehensive overview of WW2, some aspects are probably written more accurately because of the book being written in closer proximity to WW2 than accounts today. However, there is a lot of information that isn’t included in this book simply because it wasn’t known or declassified at the time.
The structure of the book was solid for the most part as it followed the events leading up to the war and also hit on all the theatres of war to a fair depth. It isn’t the most comprehensive book on WW2 but definitely gives you a solid outline of the history.
Still holds up despite being written in the 70s and has some intense black and white plates/inserts.
The structure of the book was solid for the most part as it followed the events leading up to the war and also hit on all the theatres of war to a fair depth. It isn’t the most comprehensive book on WW2 but definitely gives you a solid outline of the history.
Still holds up despite being written in the 70s and has some intense black and white plates/inserts.
October 13, 2022
The book that accompanies the classic tv series, with a little more depth to the campaigns, battles, armour, equipment and atrocities of WW2 than Sir Laurence Olivier delivered in the tv series. Very well written and researched with a raft of photographic images, some l have never seen before.
This period in history has really fascinated me since childhood, so to own this volume is a real bonus, seeing as the tv series recently finished showing on Yesterday channel.
Something to really treasure.
This period in history has really fascinated me since childhood, so to own this volume is a real bonus, seeing as the tv series recently finished showing on Yesterday channel.
Something to really treasure.
July 15, 2025
Good overview level descriptions of the second Great War. The bomb strategy chapter towards the end of the book was particularly helpful to understand why the Bomber remained ineffective without fighter escort over Germany. The Mustang P51 changed all that with its high volume fuel supply. Thus allowing protection of B17s for daylight attacks.
February 19, 2021
This is the type of book that only a history lover of this time period would wade through. It's not a story but more of an over view of the documentary that was made of the same name. I enjoyed it myself but I love anything WWII.
June 13, 2023
I enjoyed this concise introductory history to World War 2. The author gets into detail when warranted but mostly stays in the general overview range. If you don't know much about that awful war, this is a good place to start.
October 14, 2019
Good, but a bit out dated
April 16, 2022
Made me feel very smart 👍
October 20, 2024
The book of the classic 1970s t.v. programme. Both worth reading/watching.
August 16, 2025
Niet alles gelezen. Te gedetailleerd. Verder wel informatief.
June 10, 2021
It’s ok - it “goes with” the TV series and since it’s been written there are so many more books about. Glad I read it.
January 9, 2014
This is a very general over view of the Second World War and is a tidy companion to have at hand should one view the classic documentary series of the same name.
It pales in comparison to the TV series, that however is not a condemnation of the book, more a testimony of just how good a series it is.
A good read though not very comprehensive. It is though a friendly book for any one who is new to World War Two and wishes to ingest a good amount of information from one convenient source so as to help them to better understand the conflict.
70 %
It pales in comparison to the TV series, that however is not a condemnation of the book, more a testimony of just how good a series it is.
A good read though not very comprehensive. It is though a friendly book for any one who is new to World War Two and wishes to ingest a good amount of information from one convenient source so as to help them to better understand the conflict.
70 %
August 2, 2011
Still one of the best (if dated) accounts of the years of death, destruction and humans being humans.......... complements the tv doc series nicely.
Read
August 3, 2011Very informative - a subject area everyone should know about.
June 1, 2013
A good brief summary of World War II and a nice companion to the epic tv series.
Read
January 16, 2018It was 1981, and I was 12 years old, with my grandparents in Medford Square (MA). There was a used book sale in the parking lot of city hall; it was a part of a flea market, as I recall. I picked up and purchased a paperback book--The World At War by Mark Arnold-Foster. I brought it home, put it on my bookshelf, and have had it ever since. Thirty seven years, give or take. I have moved at least five or six times since then, and I've always packed up this book--along with a few others--then dutifully taken it out of my boxes of books and put it on my shelf in my new digs. Never did get around to reading the damn thing.
Today I went downstairs to where my history books are, intent on--at last!--reading this short, one-volume history of World War II. I opened in up...and it fell to pieces.
So, I won't be reading this one. One less book to lug around, I guess.
Today I went downstairs to where my history books are, intent on--at last!--reading this short, one-volume history of World War II. I opened in up...and it fell to pieces.
So, I won't be reading this one. One less book to lug around, I guess.
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