One of my personal favorites when it comes to single volume histories of World War II, although it wasn't when I first read it. I think one of the reasons I like it so much now is that Stokesbury does a great job (and spends quite a bit of time on) the causes and effects of the war. He takes the first few chapters to go back to 1919 and explain why World War II was basically inevitable. He also manages to cover most of the aspects of World War II in enough detail to give the casual reader a basic understanding, whether it be a specific theater, a strategy, a world leader, etc. A great starting point if you are just beginning a study of World War II. ( )

Short but quite densely packed. it took a bit of effort to concentrate on everything and I did learn that military tactics don't totally interest me but I was glad of the big picture overview and it was a good read before I dig into more detailed books in my next catagory chunk; World War II history, to be followed by World War II fiction.

For those of you who are inclined to overrating, please don't be deterred by my 3 star review (plus, its more like a 3.5 star review.) Keep in mind that few subjects are as complicated or have had so much ink spilt over as World War II. One of the hardest issues facing a reader is determining which book to read when.The wide breadth and shallow depth of book suited me quite well due to my embarrassingly poor grasp on the major events of WWII. Prior to this book, my piecemeal understanding of the subject was derived mainly from movies, documentaries, and more recently a few WWII memoirs. Stokesbury paints broadly with a wide brush and offers only modest levels of commentary on major events. Though Stokesbury, as any WWII author must do, was forced to jump from arena to arena and thus time frame to time frame, this book is organized chronologically by arena. I appreciated how the author often gave more attention to the catalysts that sparked individual conflicts than the conflicts themselves. In my judgment, this is critical for one's understanding of a major military conflict.I did have a few minor disappointments. For those reading the kindle edition, the maps are both scarce and of such poor quality that they proves to be worthless. One must read this book in the company of a good atlas. I used a cheap one: [b:The Historical Atlas of World War II|9025880|The Historical Atlas of World War II|Alexander Swanston|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1344753337s/9025880.jpg|2528176]. Also, Stokesbury's prose was a little wooden and clunky at times but still quite readable. My most significant concern about this book was the glaring lack of citations. Though the author provides a 20 page annotated bibliography, he does not use notes. While I concede this may be a necessary byproduct of a "Short History" it is hard to overlook. The author writes as if he is simply recounting a narrative of the war, as if he is a leading authority on the subject. There are a few times where he acknowledges the broader field of literature, but this lands this work squarely into popular history. Students, serious readers, and historians must bear this in mind and look elsewhere for any serious treatment on the issue. I can however, bear with these shortcomings as part of a "short history."I spent some time in deliberation between this and John Keegan's [b:The Second World War|55200|The Second World War|John Keegan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170448874s/55200.jpg|2507815]. After reading 50 pages of Keegan, I decided to deter his work till I had a better grasp on the chronology of the war. I feel I chose well. Keegan would be a better choice for beginner/intermediate readers. I will read him in the next 3-5 years.With all this being said, I do give the book a moderate to high recommendation for anyone looking for a western overview of the events of the War. ( )

With humor and a deep understanding of history, Stokesbury lays out the events of WWII clearly, concisely, and entertainingly. He untangles major battles and defines the politics surrounding many of the decisions behind events. It is certainly a "short history" but it is wonderfully comprehensive. You can always ref. Stokesbury's bibliography if you want heavier reading material...and after his introduction to WWII, you undoubtedly will. ( )