The Cambridge History of the Second World War: Volume 1, Fighting the War

Volume 1 offers a comprehensive and authoritative new account of the war's military and strategic history.

John Ferris (Edited by), Evan Mawdsley (Edited by)

9781108406383, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 23 November 2017

818 pages, 40 b/w illus. 13 colour illus. 24 maps 1 table
22 x 13.9 x 3.7 cm, 1.39 kg

The military events of the Second World War have been the subject of historical debate from 1945 to the present. It mattered greatly who won, and fighting was the essential determinant of victory or defeat. In Volume 1 of The Cambridge History of the Second World War a team of twenty-five leading historians offer a comprehensive and authoritative new account of the war's military and strategic history. Part I examines the military cultures and strategic objectives of the eight major powers involved. Part II surveys the course of the war in its key theatres across the world, and assesses why one side or the other prevailed there. Part III considers, in a comparative way, key aspects of military activity, including planning, intelligence, and organisation of troops and matérial, as well as guerrilla fighting and treatment of prisoners of war.

General introduction Evan Mawdsley
Introduction to Volume 1 John Ferris and Evan Mawdsley
Part I. Grand Strategies: Introduction to Part I John Ferris and Evan Mawdsley
1. British military strategy David French
2. China's long war with Japan Jay Taylor
3. French grand strategy and defence preparations Martin S. Alexander
4. German strategy, 1939–45 Gerhard Weinberg
5. Mussolini's strategy 1939–43 John Gooch
6. Feigning grand strategy: Japan, 1937–45 Alessio Patalono
7. US grand strategy, 1939–45 Thomas Mahnken
8. Soviet strategy Bruce W. Menning and Jonathan House
Part II. Campaigns: Introduction to Part II John Ferris and Evan Mawdsley
9. Campaigns in China, 1937–45 Hans Van De Ven
10. War in the West, 1939–40: an unplanned Blitzkrieg Karl-Heinz Frieser
11. War in the West, 1939–40: the Battle of Britain? John Ferris and Evan Mawdsley
12. Operations on the Eastern Front, 1941–5 David R. Stone
13. The Mediterranean and North Africa, 1940–4 Simon Ball
14. The war in the West, 1943–5 Mary Kathryn Barbier
15. The war in the Pacific, 1941–5 John T. Kuehn
16. The Atlantic war, 1939–45 Marc Milner
17. Anglo-American strategic bombing, 1940–5 Tami Davis Biddle
Part III. Fighting Forces: Introduction to Part III John Ferris and Evan Mawdsley
18. War planning Eliot Cohen
19. Armies, navies, air forces: the instruments of war Dennis Showalter
20. Filling the ranks: conscription and personnel policies Sanders Marble
21. Logistics by land and air Phillips O'Brien
22. Intelligence John Ferris
23. Prisoners of war Bob Moore
24. Guerrillas and counter-insurgency Ben H. Shepherd
Bibliographical essays
Index.

Subject Areas: Second World War [HBWQ], Military history [HBW], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW]