The Illustrated History of World War Two An Authoritative and Detailed Account of the Military and Political Events of the Second World War

From the first shots fired at a Polish naval base in the morning of 1 September 1939 to the total victory of the Allies over the Germans and the Japanese surrender in 1945, this immense global military conflict was the most brutal in human history and affected the lives of millions of civilians and soldiers. This insightful book discusses each specific phase of the European and Pacific Wars, with an introductory chapter on the causes of the war and its aftermath and long-term legacy. The chapters follow the war's battles and campaigns, and there are special feature boxes on key personalities and areas of significant interest alongside detailed maps and battle plans to show how the conflict progressed. The aftermath of World War One, Hitler's Operation Barbarossa, the rapid advance of the Nazi forces across Europe, the Battle of Britain, Pearl Harbor through to the surrender of Germany, are all discussed in detail, as are accounts of the battles in North Africa and the war in the Pacific. The harrowing history of World War Two is retold here in an expert but accessible way, supplemented with over 350 evocative photographs, maps and battle plans, making this a fascinating reference book for both general and specialist readers.