The War in the West - A New History

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

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 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.

Can never go wrong with these books!

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.