World War II: A Compact History. A guide from the man who announced D-Day to the world

Description

A veteran of World War II himself, experienced historian Colonel Dupuy is expertly placed to write this revealing and fascinating account of the war. Compressing the enormity of the Second World War into a compact narrative sweeping the world, Dupuy explores life in England under the Blitz to General Joseph Stilwell’s 400-mile trek through Burma, as well as Stalingrad and Guadalcanal and the war in the Pacific. Uncovering new and shocking information, he presents the most detailed examination to date of Operation Bodyguard – the plan designed to delude the Germans about the Allied invasion of the Continent – and explores the devastating impact of the Battle of the Bulge on American morale. Exploring how Churchill and Truman allowed Stalin to decide when the Italian and German surrenders would be revealed, he also delves into lesser-known and bravely fought campaigns that altered the outcome of the War – and the world as we know it. Preface Acknowledgments Prologue Chapter One – Pearl Harbor Chapter Two – The Rape of Poland Chapter Three – Naval War in 1939 Chapter Four – War in the North Countries Chapter Five – The Deluge–1940 Chapter Six – John Bull at Bay Chapter Seven – The Mediterranean Basin Flares Chapter Eight – The Long Road to Moscow Chapter Nine – The Japanese Offensives Chapter Ten – The Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway Chapter Eleven – The Battle of the Atlantic Chapter Twelve – The German Tide Ebbs in Russia Chapter Thirteen – North Africa–The Focal Point Chapter Fourteen – Guadalcanal and Papua Chapter Fifteen – U-Boats, the Bear and the Bombers Chapter Sixteen – Soft Underbelly Chapter Seventeen – Cracking Japan’s Defensive Perimeter Chapter Eighteen – To Rome the Hard Way Chapter Nineteen – Overlord and Bodyguard Chapter Twenty – The Wall Came Tumbling Down Chapter Twenty-One – Thor’s Hammer and the Anvil Chapter Twenty-Two – Doom Creeps upon Japan Chapter Twenty-Three – The High Road and the Low Chapter Twenty-Four – The Russian Front, 1944 Chapter Twenty-Five – On to the West Wall Chapter Twenty-Six – The Battle of the Bulge Chapter Twenty-Seven – Converging on Germany by Land, Sea and Air Chapter Twenty-Eight – Heading for the Last Roundup Chapter Twenty-Nine – The End of the Third Reich Chapter Thirty – Freeing the Philippines Chapter Thirty-One – Low Road to Nippon Chapter Thirty-Two – Decline of Japanese Power in Asia Chapter Thirty-Three – The Defeat of Japan About the Author R. Ernest Dupuy announcing D-Day, 6th June 1944