It is nearly impossible to pack World War II history into one volume, but Richard Overy's WWII Remembered makes a valiant effort to do so. From the war's roots in the post-World War I settlements of 1919 to its final days, this book covers every aspect of "the largest and costliest war in human history." Across full-color pages decked with primary photographs and images of original period documents, Overy details every major battle, blitz, operation and meeting of the Second World War--in every theater of the war--in chronological order.
Overy's text is accompanied by a removable dossier containing some 30 pieces of memorabilia--including document facsimiles, combat reports, telegrams and photographs--and an audio CD with veterans' firsthand accounts of the war. Because of its breadth, WWII Remembered is not a particularly detailed history of any one aspect of World War II--but it is an impressive history of the war in its entirety, sure to appeal to any armchair general. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm