Rating: 
Summary: The Best Book about WWII
Review: (by E.M. Singer, author of "Mother Flies Hurricanes") I love this book! John Keegan, besides being a terrific writer, is a master of organization as well (which appeals to compulsive types like myself!). His book is divided into broad sections, both by theater and chronolgy: The War in the West 1940-45, The War in the East 1941-1943, The War in the Pacific 1941-1945, The War in the West 1943-1945, ...well, you get the picture. There's also a brief preliminary section that goes into the causes of the Second World War-and if you think you know all about that, you're in for a few surprises! But wait, there's more! After reading through the book from start to finish, you can go back and revisit "topics" that Keegan cross-stitches into each section: strategic analysis, battle piece, and 'theme of war.' To wit: Start with "Hitler's Strategic Dilemma," then jump to "Tojo's Strategic Dilemma," then go on to the same dilemmas of Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt. Kind of like getting into the headspace of these guys, and things that they did that seem illogical (and almost crazy) make sense, sort of. After that you can pounce on the various "battle pieces": air battle (Battle of Britain), airborne battle (Crete), carrier Battle (Midway), tank battle (Kursk), city battle (Berlin), and amphibious battle (Okinawa, though I think Normandy would have made a better choice). Then you can snag the "themes of war" which are: supply, production, occupation and repression, strategic bombing, resistance and espionage, and secret weapons. Keegan's epilogue: "The Legacy of the Second World War" is the best post-war account ever written (and blessedly brief: only eight pages). For those of us who grew up with trying to digest the jumble of historical events in the post-war world that was slopped out to us in our history classes, this is tasty morsel that delights the palate and awakens the appetite for further historical grazing. For more recommedations on books about WWII, visit the motherflieshurricanes.com website.
Rating:
Summary: Informed, balanced, riveting, brilliant.
Review: A couple of points. Whatever the imbalance in number of pages between the war in the east and that in the west (which started two years earlier, of course), Mr Keegan leaves the reader in no doubt about the horrific casualty rates and the attrition, barbarism and suffering on the Eastern Front. Nor for that matter, does he fail to stress that it was this campaign that broke the back of Nazi Germany. And he does not "sneer" at the efforts of the resistance movements, but points out that their overall impact was small, especially when set against the terrible retributions they provoked. I think this is a brilliant book; its scope is huge, and to cram this much information into such a readable text is a considerable achievement. It whets the appetite of the reader for more details of events which it can (by necessity) only briefly survey. Buy.
Rating:
Summary: definitive
Review: A masterful account of the Second World War, not only on the battlefield level but also on the political and economic level. The strong suit of this book is its illustration of how the tactical losses and gains at the battlefront translated into strategic victories and losses. One (minor) complaint- the maps never seemed to show the places mentioned in the accompanied text!
Rating:
Summary: Best overview of World War II there is and ever will be.
Review: Absolutely superb are the words I use to describe this book. If you want an overview of World War II, buy this and buy it now. It's easy to read, it has splendid maps and photographs that heighten your understanding of the subjects discussed. What else is there to say? Excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: A Definitive Overview
Review: After reading several reviews of the book, I felt compelled to add my thoughts. I agree with several reviewers who were dissapointed with the maps. Most history lovers are visual and want to see what's going on. Keegan's book on WWI also suffers from this. I do wonder however if that may be an editorial/publisher decision and not the authors. Mr. Keegan's book displays a remarkable ability to explore the complexity of this war concisely. It is an overview, and so does not get into the detail that multi-volume books do. To his credit, he leaves little out and illuminates many battles that are not often spoken of. Mr. Keegan writes with clarity and wit, but not irony, one of the great downfalls of so many historians writing today. Peter Green comes to mind. Sorry, digress. Anyway, I found this book and his book on WWI excellent reading.
Rating:
Summary: Scholarly , providing all WWII behind-the-scenes
Review: Although not seeming very accessible at first glance, the well-compartimented story unveils all the theaters of War with every detail that's related to it. The in-depth strategical analysis on each period is followed by the descriptive narration of the events. Despite offering a wide array of details on the events, John Keegan also brilliantly focuses on several key characters or decisions : Barbarossa, Rommel in Africa, Overlord...... Anyway, that book is just simply a must-buy for anyone seeking a top-notch analysis of the greatest event in the course of modern history. However,I do not recommand this book for those interested in particular aspects of the War such as the Holocaust or Resistance. 2 THUMPS UP ;)
Rating: 
Summary: An Interesting View Of World War II
Review: Although this is not a real chronologically ordered summery of World War II Mr. Keegan manages to capture many different aspects in a way that is understandable and informative. For a comprehensive overview of events that made up World War II you can't beat this book. It is more then just the battles but the human perspective as well. This book also includes moving pictures of the events as well as maps to help tell the story and put into perspective what you are reading about. Great reference material.
Rating: 
Summary: Storehouse of information/Difficult to follow
Review: Firstly, and on the positive note, this book is a storehouse of detailed information. The divisions and chapter progression walk the reader through the timeline of events. The author notes this as a major concern due to the overwhelming subject matter. And, He does an excellent job. Secondly, and on the negative note, the sentence structure, progression of thought and information deliverly, etc., is lacking. The information is consistently broken in mid-thought, mid-sentence, and/or delivery to entertain, or convey, numerous other thoughts and information. The thought/information at hand is consistently wandering. It is easy to see that the author was at war with his own mission statement as outlined in the forward of the book. I'm sure the temptation is hard to overcome in a work labeled "The Second World War" with its all inclusive overtone. I quess it would be hard not to interject with a thousand or so "oh yea and by the ways". Nonethe! less, it is difficult to follow the progression. The book was found by myself and others to be an aggravating read; yet, a highly valuable information resource.
Rating:
Summary: Balanced and sombre view
Review: Great one volume history of the greatest catastrophe to befall millions of ordinary people in this or any other century. He has read everything there is to read about the war. There is an urgency in the unfolding of the events in the sombre and eloquent prose.One can argue about the chronological treatment(the theatres are divided into west, east and pacific) or about weight given to any particular event (holocaust,for example) but the difficulties faced by the author are readily apparent when you read the detail in such concentration page after page. The analysis of personalities sprinkled throughout the book is brilliant (FDR,for instance). The stage set for every signifacant event of this war is writen with concision. You will probably read many books on this war but none is likely to be this well researched and assembled for the general reader. I was distracted by the pictures and maps (too much detail in black and white).I also found the typeset and layout less than satisfactory.
Rating:
Summary: John Keegan is a truly brillant man
Review: He tells it like no one else could. His perspective on Lend-Lease and the American economy is fascinating. American Industry that was already climbing out of the depression without mobilisation, by the end of the war was feeding most of the World. From prociding wheat to Britain to 10 million winter boots to the Russians when they needed them most, he shines light not only on battle in this book but the Industry that powered the armies of World War 2. In Chapter 10 "War Production" Keegan provides although brief but to the point analysis of the European participants war-making capabilities. Not to mention the Production of Armies, which he also explores in detail. He provides an intresting look at the origins of the war. He doesn't follow the route of idealistic Marxists who misinterpret the causes for the war as "a working class struggle" or the German struggle to distribute blame for the war elsewhere. No, he instead looks at events and causes that made the war possible. This book is not for socialists, nazis, or anarchists. The reason for this is because truth is not on their agenda. This book speaks the truth and will make the agendized squirm and the right or left propagandists wet themselves.
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