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The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War
In The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War , Martin Gilbert graphically charts the war’s political, military, economic and social history through 257 illuminating maps. The atlas covers all the major events from the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 to the defeat of Japan in August 1945. Focusing on the human – and inhuman – aspects of the war, The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War includes examination This paperback edition includes several updates to existing maps, as well as ten new maps, specially drawn for this edition. The new maps include examinations of Japanese- American and African- American soldiers serving with the United States Army, British women special agents, Belgium at War, and the German occupation of the Channel Islands.
328 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2008
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About the author
Martin Gilbert
251 books420 followersThe official biographer of Winston Churchill and a leading historian on the Twentieth Century, Sir Martin Gilbert was a scholar and an historian who, though his 88 books, has shown there is such a thing as “true history”
Born in London in 1936, Martin Gilbert was educated at Highgate School, and Magdalen College, Oxford, graduating with First Class Honours. He was a Research Scholar at St Anthony's College, and became a Fellow of Merton College, Oxford in 1962, and an Honorary Fellow in 1994. After working as a researcher for Randolph Churchill, Gilbert was chosen to take over the writing of the Churchill biography upon Randolph's death in 1968, writing six of the eight volumes of biography and editing twelve volumes of documents. In addition, Gilbert has written pioneering and classic works on the First and Second World Wars, the Twentieth Century, the Holocaust, and Jewish history.
Gilbert drove every aspect of his books, from finding archives to corresponding with eyewitnesses and participants that gave his work veracity and meaning, to finding and choosing illustrations, drawing maps that mention each place in the text, and compiling the indexes. He travelled widely lecturing and researching, advised political figures and filmmakers, and gave a voice and a name “to those who fought and those who fell.”
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Born in London in 1936, Martin Gilbert was educated at Highgate School, and Magdalen College, Oxford, graduating with First Class Honours. He was a Research Scholar at St Anthony's College, and became a Fellow of Merton College, Oxford in 1962, and an Honorary Fellow in 1994. After working as a researcher for Randolph Churchill, Gilbert was chosen to take over the writing of the Churchill biography upon Randolph's death in 1968, writing six of the eight volumes of biography and editing twelve volumes of documents. In addition, Gilbert has written pioneering and classic works on the First and Second World Wars, the Twentieth Century, the Holocaust, and Jewish history.
Gilbert drove every aspect of his books, from finding archives to corresponding with eyewitnesses and participants that gave his work veracity and meaning, to finding and choosing illustrations, drawing maps that mention each place in the text, and compiling the indexes. He travelled widely lecturing and researching, advised political figures and filmmakers, and gave a voice and a name “to those who fought and those who fell.”
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 18, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this unique book - the various "atlases" by this author are not really atlases in the real sense of the word, they are extensive compendiums of interesting historical facts and events explained on a map background. I have been reading books about WWII history for years, yet learned a lot of new things from this amazing book. Seeing the variety and number of different aerial targets in Europe attacked by a single, particular Lancaster bomber; or visualizing the number of various POW camps on the map of Germany is really eye-opening and once again illustrates what a terrible global conflict WWII was.
Highly recommended for any student of WWII history.
Highly recommended for any student of WWII history.
March 19, 2017
A wonderful atlas of some of the most beautiful maps I have ever seen, despite them being black/white.
September 8, 2023
This is a Eurocentric / UK&US centric viewpoint of the war, expect to see like a hundred map of the UK in this book, plus a lot of the North Atlantic
The beginning of the war is defined in Western terms, in 1939, rather than Eastern, who see the war as starting in 1937. You will see a map of UK armament factories, and you will see about Britain being bombed, but not France. Having spoken to a historian who told me that "France was not
bombed in WW2", it seems that its poorly understood that it was.
Enigma is mistakenly glossed over, talking about how the Allies had "naval Engima codes", yet there were different codes for subs and for cruisers, which I felt the author did not research. Allies often had sub codes, but not the cruiser enigma codes.
The Japan section is both limited and riddled with errors, including inflated casualty figures. East Asia is seen exclusively through the view of "how did it affect Western militaries" - there isn't much focus on non-Western civilians....
There is a disproportionate attention to the UK, major gaps in information about Europe.
The book presents misleading elements, and gives poor context, but nonetheless a WWII buff / amateur WWII fan will find some elements to enjoy. But I would say this may be hard to process for a newbie to WWII content, you should be able to recognize the main aircraft of WWII for example, but you could learn a lot and enjoy this book even if you didn't. I would say it has broad appeal for the most part, and many people would simply enjoy a quick leaf through. Its fun to look at maps.
I think this book should be remade with better content and balance. Its clearly written for the Anglosphere, with the intended reader an Anglophone in the UK/US/Canada/Australia. While I do think it should be revised, I would say that a lot of people would just enjoy this, learn and get a fair bit out of it.
The beginning of the war is defined in Western terms, in 1939, rather than Eastern, who see the war as starting in 1937. You will see a map of UK armament factories, and you will see about Britain being bombed, but not France. Having spoken to a historian who told me that "France was not
bombed in WW2", it seems that its poorly understood that it was.
Enigma is mistakenly glossed over, talking about how the Allies had "naval Engima codes", yet there were different codes for subs and for cruisers, which I felt the author did not research. Allies often had sub codes, but not the cruiser enigma codes.
The Japan section is both limited and riddled with errors, including inflated casualty figures. East Asia is seen exclusively through the view of "how did it affect Western militaries" - there isn't much focus on non-Western civilians....
There is a disproportionate attention to the UK, major gaps in information about Europe.
The book presents misleading elements, and gives poor context, but nonetheless a WWII buff / amateur WWII fan will find some elements to enjoy. But I would say this may be hard to process for a newbie to WWII content, you should be able to recognize the main aircraft of WWII for example, but you could learn a lot and enjoy this book even if you didn't. I would say it has broad appeal for the most part, and many people would simply enjoy a quick leaf through. Its fun to look at maps.
I think this book should be remade with better content and balance. Its clearly written for the Anglosphere, with the intended reader an Anglophone in the UK/US/Canada/Australia. While I do think it should be revised, I would say that a lot of people would just enjoy this, learn and get a fair bit out of it.
July 16, 2014
Well, it's an Atlas. Of the second world war.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews