The Rise of Germany, 1939–1941: The War in the West

This first volume of The War in the West was very entertaining. It is very well written and written in a way that really engages your interest. I have read a number of books about World War II, including overall general histories and about specific parts of the war. This volume is high on the list of the best. The author interplays the events of the first part of the war before the invasion of the Soviet Union with the personal experiences of individuals either caught up in the war someway or in the armed forces of one of the nations at war or soon to enter the war. The title makes it look like it is going to focus on Germany during the years 1939 to 1941. But that is not the case. It pretty much gives equal treatment to events and people in the United States as well as in Britain and Germany. The book also goes into the decision making as to various parts of the war and battles in a way that I haven't experienced before in any of the books on the war I have read. I learned a lot of things I didn't know before. Another aspect of the author's premise appears to be that the early victories of Germany were not inevitable, that Britain and France had a lot going for them at the start of the war in the west. History seems to be inevitable from hindsight. His premise is that Germany was not that strong when the war commenced. Yes, they had large numbers of soldiers, but very few mechanized divisions. Poland was not a true test. Germany also had limited access to resources essential to maintaining the war. This, of course, increased, as Germany invaded countries in central and eastern Europe and down into Greece. But, the author points out, even this was not enough to sustain a long war, making the attack on the Soviet Union almost essential. Germany needed the vast resources of the Soviet Union to succeed in its war against Britain. Despite the loss of the battle in France and having to evacuate their expeditionary force from the shores of Dunkirk, Britain was, according to the author, still very much a formidable force in opposing Nazi Germany. and with the potential of the United States joining on its side, could be an overwhelming force unless Germany could end the war quickly. Hitler grew very exasperated when Britain refused to even negotiate. It was an unknown factor in his plans, and which, as we know, led to his downfall and the complete destruction of Germany. I very much enjoyed this first volume by James Holland of the War in the West and am looking forward to his next volume, continuing a very readable history of tremendous events that occurred in our world in the very recent past.

I have read dozens of books on the people and events of WWII. This book stands among the 2 or 3 best overall. It is a long book but the author's writing style makes it flow. He achieves a good balance of detail when needed and a 20,000 foot view when it shows major strategies. He analyzes the strategies and options of major event and battles. The author uses a linear timeline, moving back and forth among different theaters of war. He illustrates the human part of events with stories of real people taken from diaries. In many cases he follows these people throughout the book with a paragraph here and one there. The people he has chosen to feature highlight the emotions and thinking of real people, be they low level or leaders. His mix of people and events along with a very perceptive analysis of the events makes this book extremely interesting. Of course he has the necessary photo plates. The book is well, but not overly, referenced and includes a descriptions of all "characters" at the beginning. Strongly recommend this book even if you have read everything there is to read about WWII.. The author includes new information that I had not read elsewhere.

This is a well-informed operational account of the war in Europe which incorporates the personal narratives of politicians, soldiers and civilians. The author claims to present a “new” version of the war opposed to popular knowledge “steeped in perceptions and myth rather than fact.” Friendly reviews in the news media and on Amazon have accepted these claims. In such a way the straw man of popular misconception is put to convenient use and even allowing for a certain amount of sales puffery I find the claim of “new” to be over-stated. However I do like the book and found it an enjoyable read despite the exaggerated claims of the friendly reviews. For me the rewarding parts of the book were the personal details and narratives, and most of them I was unfamiliar with. But the essential information about the war and its combatants has been known or available for decades. For example, some reviewers indicate that Mr. Holland’s comparative account of the raw materials situation and industrial infrastructure/armaments industries of the main combatants is new – it is not. The new and refreshing aspect is that Holland deftly integrates such content into his narrative though it has been available for decades. Some people have mistaken other recent books as bringing previously forgotten or hidden knowledge to the fore. Two books were mentioned in a favorable review in the Wall Street Journal (10 October 2015). They are David Edgerton’s ”Britain’s War Machine” (2011) and Adam Tooze’s “The Wages of Destruction” (2006). I have read the latter but not yet the former. But earlier authors who dealt with the subject are Burton Klein (1959) and Alan Milward (1965 and 1976). And of course there are the volumes of the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey and the dozens of volumes of Britain’s official “The History of the Second World War,” one of which dealt specifically with raw materials and supply. I do see that the volumes of the official British history of the war are found throughout Holland’s bibliography. Holland’s “The Rise of Germany” evidences that he knows his subject and literature quite well. There was one section on the equipment, uniforms and mechanization of the British Army and the German Army I thought very well done. The British Expeditionary Force sent to France in 1939-40 was a thoroughly modernized and mechanized force; only a small portion of the German Army was similarly equipped. But mechanization is expensive and the size of the respective armies relevant here – a small British Army versus a German one many times its size. Anyone who is familiar with the Battle of France or the German Army knows that most of the German infantry marched into France and much of the transport was horse-drawn. None of this is remarkable and has always been known by students of the period. Holland does present a picture here and there that is troubling and at odds with my memories from other books. For example Holland gives emphasis to Generals Dill and Wavell who changed their minds about sending British troops to Greece after Churchill requested it (p. 488). My recollection is that they reluctantly did so as obedient professional soldiers because it meant a diminution of resources poised to defeat the Italians in North Africa. In any case the Germans did invade Yugoslavia and Greece and a stout British resistance with the help of the Royal Navy prevented a catastrophe though at some cost. Mr. Holland mentions in several places the strategic mistake the Germans made by invading these countries which it certainly was. Nowhere did I see such an assertion made about the British move into Greece – a similarly foolish strategic move in my opinion. For all of this foolishness by the combatants the Greek nation paid a very high price indeed as a battleground and occupied country. In short, as Holland observes and I agree, Germany was ill-positioned to fight a long war – no surprise there. German leadership knew and understood this, and likewise the British who studied the subject very thoroughly even before the outbreak of war in September 1939. The German war machine had its limitations and all choices made by the Germans involved an opportunity cost and balancing of projected needs. Once war occurred the Allied leadership expected some variation of the circumstances of World War I where Germany with insufficient materiel for war is ultimately pushed to defeat by blockade and attrition. This latter point is omitted in Mr. Holland’s account as is much context for his operational history of the war. German success in the invasion and occupation of Denmark and Norway in April 1940, and then defeating the Allied armies in the field in May-June 1940 was something no one of either side anticipated, thus prolonging the war of “blockade and attrition” though on a grander scale. While “The Rise of Germany” does have its shortcomings it is a fine operational account of the European war, as promised by the author, and a good read enhanced by the personal details of so many participants.

I consider James Holland to be among the best of the modern historians who are studying and writing about the Second World War. His scholarship is superb. His research is meticulous. His depth of understanding of the chronicled events is profound. Holland's writing style is highly accessible, very lively, and enjoyable. I highly recommend "The Rise of Germany 1939 -- 1941: The War in the West" to anyone looking for a modern history (benefitting greatly from newly discovered, released and/or declassified information sources) of the events in the first years of the Second World War.

A must-read for those wanting a deeper understanding of WW2. While Mr. Holland does not seem interested in 'myth-busting', this is what this book does, much like David Stahel's excellent volumes on Barbarossa (more must-read material). Holland busts myths because he shows the deep and highly problematic issues facing Germany and the allies (primarily Britain) in the years leading up to the war and the early war years. These issues wouldn't have been any kind of a problem until Germany decided to go to war -- trade and economic ties would've overcome all these. But once Hitler threw the dice, he had to keep doubling-down trying to keep his country afloat through the shortages he was facing, leading Germany deeper and deeper into destruction. I still think Holland's Battle of Britain was one of the most well-written, enjoyable and educating history books I've ever read. His Malta book was also excellent. Keep 'em coming Mr Holland. And please ask Mr Stahel to write faster also.

Fascinating, well written, and I couldn't put it down. As a bit of a WWII history nut, I was a bit loath to buy yet another book on the subject, but glad I did as Holland looks at events from a different perspective than "standard" histories that tend to focus on the outcomes of various campaigns and battles; instead, this is more of look behind the scenes, such as the capacity to wage war and win it, topics that range from food production, the availability of raw materials, how industries were organized, to the political process in various countries that either fostered success or eventual disaster - Italy's alliance with Germany turned out to be the latter and probably cost the Wehrmacht the capture of Moscow. Germany in its initial two years of aggression seemed unstoppable, but was a house of cards doomed to fail. Why this was so makes an informative read and the author makes it a pleasure to pursue.

An excellent historical read with many references. The book gives a detailed account of Germany's 1930's rise to power and the failure of France to respond. It also details the effective British resistance.

Just finished reading - popular revisionist history based on statistical analysis and the minutia of war - narrative in format. Met the author earlier this month and he is quite a speaker; not one to miss if one has a chance. Enjoyed, but nothing new for me here. I would have written the title as "The Rise of Britain" - more appropriate. Good primer on the war.

A extensively researched and highly useful for a good understanding of the early days of WW 2.

This is a wonderfully told down-to-earth tale. Although I have read very many books about WWII, Mr. Holland manages to provide us with many fascinating details about the experiences of the big whigs down to the common soldiers, while keeping the big picture in focus. I highly recommend this book.

This is a fascinating book, and proved much quicker and easier to read than the weight of the tome first suggested when it crashed through my letter box. Holland's argument is that Great Britain always stood a far greater chance of a successful outcome in the Second World War than historians have traditionally tended to assert. The prevailing view of the war in Western Europe from a UK perspective is one in which years of early failure nearly led to collapse, and only edged towards victory as a result of Hitler's decision to invade the Soviet Union in June 1941 and the arrival in the war on our side in December that year of the USA. Holland argues, however, that the weaknesses in British arms between 1939 and 1941 did not mean that defeat was ever inevitable and that in actuality the seeds of eventual British success were strongly evident from the outset of the war. It would have been nice to have had some military victories to fall back on during these years, and to have fought better (in North Africa and Norway, for instance) but they in and of themselves did not make Britain's failure, collapse or surrender inevitable. Through a combination of inherent British strengths (such as rearmament in the late 1930s, her worldwide economic reach, closeness of ties with the USA and power and responsiveness of the Commonwealth at the outset of war) together with Axis strategic ineptitude, military weaknesses (disguised by the use of superb propaganda) and repeated follies, a positive outcome for Britain in the war was always much more certain than we have traditionally assumed. This produces a much more positive view of Britain's expectations than the prevailing narrative has allowed, and is a welcome re-balance of perspective about the relative strengths and weaknesses of both sides of the Allied/Axis camp in the first three years of the war. This is not a rarefied account. Holland helpfully uses real peoples' experiences to illustrate his arguments, and throughout backs up his contentions with a wealth of helpful information and data.

Great book - James Holland is a legend, love his work.

First thing first, thank you Mr Holland for this great book. The way it is told and described in the book made me feel like I was closer to these dark times. There is a tremedous research put into it. Made me realise how was the political map at this time, what the different actors were up to, or thinking of one another, but also how it began to forge the world of today. There is also the heroes, meaning all who were dirrectly affected by the events, from both sides, what happenned in their deeds, what they were feeling or thinking. One word, WOW. Bravo Mr Holland! I highly recommend this book. Matter of fact I just bought volume 2, can't wait to start devouring it. Sincerely.