Updated and expanded throughout to take into consideration the most up-to-date historical research, this new edition of The Origins of the Second World War analyzes the reasons for the outbreak of the Second World War. Experienced historian Ruth Henig * the long-term factors that led to war * the effect of British appeasement policies * the significance of American isolation * the ambitions of Italy, Japan and Russia. The Origins of the Second World War brings one of the most controversial historical topics to life for a whole generation of students and scholars seeking to understand the reasoning and events behind this major event in world history.
Perhaps surprisingly this is an area of history I studied very little at high school or university, and having recently read 'The Book Thief' I thought this brief introduction was a good place to start. I used to read a lot of this series for A Level and found it a very good introduction to the build up to the Second World War and the different historical views on the causes and contributions to it.