BOOK THE WORLD AT WAR (BOX50)

 COURTESY OF GIBSONS TACTICAL TAVERN                                                                       MILITARY SURPLUS LISTING INDIVIDUALLY PICTURED

 THE WORLD AT WAR

AUTHOR: MARK ARNOLD-FORSTER

PUBLISHER: STEIN AND DAY PUBLISHERS    NEW YORK

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1973

COPYRIGHT: 1973 BY THAMES TELEVISION LIMITED;  MAPS BY KLONWOOD LIMITED

THERE HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT SCHOLARLY AND MILITARY HISTORIES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, BUT NO POPULARIZED ONE-VOLUME HISTORY OF THAT GLOBAL CONFLICT. NOW, AN ENGLISHMAN WITH A GENIUS FOR MAKING COMPLEX ACTIONS AND EVENTS INSTANTLY UNDERSTANDABLE, HAS COVERED EVERY MAJOR PHASE FROM THE RIDICULOUS "PHONY WAR" TO THE FINAL VICTORY OVER JAPAN, IN A MANNER THAT IS INFORMATIVE, EXCITING, AND CLEAR.                                                    HOW DID THE NAZIS DEFEAT FRANCE AND THE LOW COUNTRIES SO RAPIDLY? HOW CLOSE WAS THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN? WHY, WHEN THE ALLIES HAD A CHANCE TO BEAT THE GERMAN ARMIES IN NORTH AFRICA, WERE THE TROOPS YANKED AWAY TO INECVITABLE DEFEAT IN GREECE? HOW AND WHEN DID THE ALLIES MANAGE TO FOOL THE GERMANS AS TO THE PLACE OF THE INVASION? WHY DID THE LANDINGS AT NORMANDY ALMOST NOT WORK? OVER WHAT STUPIDITY OF PLANNING DID THE NAZI ARMIES HAVE TO GRIND TO A HALT IN THE SOVIET UNION? WHY DID THE GERMANS FIND THEMSELVES IN A HOPELESS POSITION WHILE THEY WERE BESIEGING STALINGRAD? WHY DID THE WESTERN ALLIES NOT GET TO BERLIN UNITL IT WAS TOO LATE?                                                                                                                                    AND ON THE SEA, HOW DID THE NAZI U-BOATS NEARLY WIN THE NORTH ATLANTIC WAR, AND WHY DID THE TIDE TURN? AN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, HOW DID THE VICTORS OF PEARL HARBOR, WITH SUPERIOR FORCES, SHORTER SUPPLY LINES, AND THE HEADY MORALE OF TRIUMPHING OVER SO MUCH OF ASIA, MANAGE TO BE BEATEN AGAIN AND AGAIN?                                                                                     THE WORLD AT WAR IS ITSELF A VICTORY OF THE PRINTED WORD IN THE WAY IT TELESCOPES ALL OF THESE MONUMENTAL EVENTS, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE, INTO THE SPACE OF ONE BOOK THAT BARRELS AHEAD WITH THE PACE OF A FAST-MOVING NOVEL.                                                                                                                                                    THIS BOOK IS BASED ON THE 26 HOUR TELEVISION SERIES,                                                                   NARRATED BY SIR LAURENCE OLIVIER.