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Blood, Tears, and Folly: An Objective View of World War II
The best-selling author of Faith provides a gripping account of the early days of World War II, from the brutal submarine battles for control of the seas to the hunt for the German "Desert Fox." Reprint.
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First published January 1, 1993
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About the author
Len Deighton
242 books915 followersDeighton was born in Marylebone, London, in 1929. His father was a chauffeur and mechanic, and his mother was a part-time cook. After leaving school, Deighton worked as a railway clerk before performing his National Service, which he spent as a photographer for the Royal Air Force's Special Investigation Branch. After discharge from the RAF, he studied at St Martin's School of Art in London in 1949, and in 1952 won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1955.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
January 25, 2021
Deighton, a skilled thriller writer, does an exemplary job here of deconstructing the strategy and stupidity of WWII from the British POV. A comparable American-centric work is the 'Army at Dawn' trilogy.
Nations start wars, and their generals plan battles, often based on wishful thinking instead of facts. When confronted by disaster, they often double-down. As the Allies turn the tide and defeat the Nazis, it is often startling that any success could be achieved. This is the epiphany that Deighton's work sparks.
Nations start wars, and their generals plan battles, often based on wishful thinking instead of facts. When confronted by disaster, they often double-down. As the Allies turn the tide and defeat the Nazis, it is often startling that any success could be achieved. This is the epiphany that Deighton's work sparks.
May 23, 2022
(First half)
This is a history of WW2 from 1939 to the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
This is a nuts-and-bolts history. Deighton is not interested in ideology or political maneuvering. He is interested in weapons, tactics and strategies. His theme is the repeated failures and shortcomings of weapons, soldiers and generals on all sides.
Romell was not the great desert fox. He was a risk taker who got lucky until his luck ran out. Churchill made one of the great strategic errors of the war when he committed British troops to fighting the Nazis in Greece. It crippled the whole Mediterranean theater, cost thousands of lives and was a complete failure. British oil and water cans were cheap and leaky. The German "jerrycans" saved the Germans huge amounts of oil and water in the desert.
Deighton works at explaining the day to day lives of WW2 soldiers. He explains how difficult it was to serve in a German U-Boat submarine or to fight in the jungles of East Africa.
He is an excellent explainer. I feel like I finally have some sense of what degaussing is and why it was so important. He also argues that the Enigma code breaking by the British of German signals was essential to Britian's ultimate success.
This is not a sweeping tale of great powers at war over great issues. It is an up-close study of the actual process of waging war and fighting battles.
This is a history of WW2 from 1939 to the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
This is a nuts-and-bolts history. Deighton is not interested in ideology or political maneuvering. He is interested in weapons, tactics and strategies. His theme is the repeated failures and shortcomings of weapons, soldiers and generals on all sides.
Romell was not the great desert fox. He was a risk taker who got lucky until his luck ran out. Churchill made one of the great strategic errors of the war when he committed British troops to fighting the Nazis in Greece. It crippled the whole Mediterranean theater, cost thousands of lives and was a complete failure. British oil and water cans were cheap and leaky. The German "jerrycans" saved the Germans huge amounts of oil and water in the desert.
Deighton works at explaining the day to day lives of WW2 soldiers. He explains how difficult it was to serve in a German U-Boat submarine or to fight in the jungles of East Africa.
He is an excellent explainer. I feel like I finally have some sense of what degaussing is and why it was so important. He also argues that the Enigma code breaking by the British of German signals was essential to Britian's ultimate success.
This is not a sweeping tale of great powers at war over great issues. It is an up-close study of the actual process of waging war and fighting battles.
February 26, 2025
Well known Cold War fiction writer was an amateur historian too, who laboured for over a decade on this book, written from a British lens up to the fall of the allies in the Pacific. It’s not a retelling but an ‘objective look’ at specific areas.
With voluminous referencing, interviews and encouragement of historian AJH Taylor, he reminds us, after half a century, ‘how badly world leaders performed, and how bravely they were supported by their suffering populations’.
Deighton examines various theatres of war in six parts, and in each, scrutinises decision and strategies, politics, ego and mindsets. It is an important treatment to explore against postwar narratives established either in the glow of victory or driven by an agenda.
This second edition ebook is a reprint of the first, except for a few lines in the Introduction which explains his confidence at republishing this well tested account in 2021. It is fascinating that this was available in the 1990s, as it provides a critical understanding now possibly acquired from several other books.
I read a second hand print copy (1994) and the ebook (2021) from NLB.
With voluminous referencing, interviews and encouragement of historian AJH Taylor, he reminds us, after half a century, ‘how badly world leaders performed, and how bravely they were supported by their suffering populations’.
Deighton examines various theatres of war in six parts, and in each, scrutinises decision and strategies, politics, ego and mindsets. It is an important treatment to explore against postwar narratives established either in the glow of victory or driven by an agenda.
This second edition ebook is a reprint of the first, except for a few lines in the Introduction which explains his confidence at republishing this well tested account in 2021. It is fascinating that this was available in the 1990s, as it provides a critical understanding now possibly acquired from several other books.
I read a second hand print copy (1994) and the ebook (2021) from NLB.
December 17, 2014
A very gripping read. Deighton is insightful and also highlights the drama of what is the greatest drama of the 20th Century. Even if you aren't much for history you might want to take a look at this book as it deals with military and historical issues in a very engaging way.
For those who enjoy WWII history this is a fresh look with newer information on a topic you're likely familiar with. At first it might jar you as Deighton comes to some conclusions early in the book that might be startling, especially to Americans steeped in an overly American-centric view of that war. There is nothing about the invasion of France, not even a paragraph about the great battle of Midway. For Deighton the war ended in 1941 and he makes a very good case for this perspective.
The only flaw I found in the book is that he spends a fair amount of time on the early North African Campaign and relative to his core theme this is a sideshow.
Critics might be inclined to pass this off as an Anglo-centric view of the war by a British author. Such is mistaken. Deighton is harsh in his treatment of Britain in the war and they do not come off as the heros who stopped Hitler.
Enjoy!
For those who enjoy WWII history this is a fresh look with newer information on a topic you're likely familiar with. At first it might jar you as Deighton comes to some conclusions early in the book that might be startling, especially to Americans steeped in an overly American-centric view of that war. There is nothing about the invasion of France, not even a paragraph about the great battle of Midway. For Deighton the war ended in 1941 and he makes a very good case for this perspective.
The only flaw I found in the book is that he spends a fair amount of time on the early North African Campaign and relative to his core theme this is a sideshow.
Critics might be inclined to pass this off as an Anglo-centric view of the war by a British author. Such is mistaken. Deighton is harsh in his treatment of Britain in the war and they do not come off as the heros who stopped Hitler.
Enjoy!
September 3, 2018
Len Deighton's novel writing acumen have made his histories of World War II engaging and readable. This is no exception. Although very Anglo-centric, his thoughtful description and analysis of pre-World War II political and technological developments, and the long shadow of World War I, make the interwar years eminently interesting. He doesn't write alternative histories, but he does point out minor and major decisions that rippled in magnitude as their effects impacted events later in the conflict.
Although nearly 700 pages of text, his organization allows the reader to read in small doses, prolonging the enjoyment and allowing for digestion. This book is certainly beneficial for decision makers and policymakers that filter their actions with ideology, biases, and prejudices.
Although nearly 700 pages of text, his organization allows the reader to read in small doses, prolonging the enjoyment and allowing for digestion. This book is certainly beneficial for decision makers and policymakers that filter their actions with ideology, biases, and prejudices.
January 2, 2012
Almost gossipy history of WWII. Divided into short sections this book is especially strong at introducing the context and describing the technological innovations (for example the Soviet T34 amour is praised and the poor quality of its optics disparaged). This is probably not the definitive history of WWII, but it is a fascinating read. The book does focus on the causes of the war and the early stages, giving little about the later stages of the war. Good coverage is given to all major participants, with the focus on the earlier years of the war it is less US focused than other histories.
June 30, 2024
Deighton is more renowned for his spy novels but has written previous History books on aspects of the Second World War ( Fighter, Blitzkreig and Battle of Britain,) my reading of which long pre-dated my blogging days. In this volume the cover page promises “an objective look at World War II.”
Deighton splits his book between the main theatres of war starting with “The Battle of the Atlantic,” going on to “Hitler Conquers Europe,” “The Mediterranean War,” “The War in the Air,” “Barbarossa: The Attack on Russia” then “Japan Goes to War” - all of which deal mostly with the early encounters - before concluding with ‘Went the Day Well?’ a short scamper through how they all turned out.
In order to illuminate the Second World War and its origins Deighton delves into earlier History in his start to each section and makes some often overlooked observations.
The pre-Great War British refusal to build new bigger dock yards meant that, individually, its ships were seriously inferior to German ones, especially in regard to using watertight bulkheads to resist being sunk, a difference which revealed itself at the Battle of Jutland. More contentiously Deighton says Germany might well have won the Great War had the US not entered.
(Aside; after the German Spring offensive ran itself out in 1918 when their troops overextended their supply chain and discovered how well supplied the Allies were - especially with wine, but also matériel - they were always on the back foot and defeat became inevitable. How much the US contribution affected this is at least debatable.)
As regards the later conflict he notes that in the 1939-45 war India contributed “the largest volunteer army that history had ever recorded.” (Indian troops made up the bulk of the “British” Army in North Africa.)
In the sea war German gun-laying radar (of which the Royal Navy were largely ignorant) gave the Kreigsmarine surface ships a considerable advantage. Coupled with HMS Hood’s lack of deck armour - another example of that Great War design inferiority - making it vulnerable to plunging fire its sinking was all but inevitable.
To avoid damaging the German economy Hitler wanted short sharp wars; the blitzkrieg technique was employed for that reason. As a result German munitions production was not maximised till after the advance into Russia bogged down, by which time it was too late. Germany had been plentifully supplied by the Soviet Union before June 1941. All its plunder from the invasion of Russia never equalled that earlier provision. That invasion was utterly senseless, but of course ideologically driven. Plus, the planning staff had “wrongly assessed their enemy and formulated a plan that could never have conquered him.”
A statement which may surprise most British (and indeed USian) readers was that “Rommel was not one of the war’s great generals.” In Germany he is thought of as a product of Nazi propaganda. “His fatal flaw was his inability to see the importance of logistics.” While good - exceptional - as a divisional commander Deighton says Rommel needed a superior to keep him under control and make him understand the less glamorous realities of supply and maintenance. Despite his blame of them Italian merchant seamen are described as “nothing less than heroic in their performance” (providing to the Afrika Korps 800 tons per division per day on average.) By contrast “voracious” US armoured divisions in North West Europe required only 600 tons per day including fuel. The Luftwaffe’s parachute army had been all but used up in Crete and so was not available for an attack to deprive the Allies of Malta.
“The war’s decisive battle was won in the factories.” For every ship the Axis built the Allies built ten and there was a crucial German shortage of trucks. German lack of a strategic bomber force meant the Soviet Union’s factories beyond the Urals were safe from harassment. However, the RAF’s belief in strategic bombing as a decisive war winning weapon was a delusion. It wasn’t accurate enough and didn’t demoralise the population.
The shift from coal to oil in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century had changed the strategic landscape. “It is tempting to depict the Second World War as nothing but a struggle for oil.” In Japan’s case that is undoubtedly true and Deighton stresses the importance of Zhukov’s victory over the Japanese at Khalkin Gol in 1939 in concentrating their efforts away from the far eastern Soviet Union. Indeed, their attack on Pearl Harbor dismayed German troops on the Eastern Front.
In Malaya, British troops were overloaded with equipment – heavy boots, steel helmet, webbing pack on the back, another at the side, gas-mask bag on the chest, all held together by webbing fitted with brass buckles (which if unpolished were punished severely.) Not to mention the ten-pound weight of a Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet (a rifle not suited to jungle warfare.) This disadvantage, and a certain inability to perceive that a lighter, nimbler Army might not need the roads on which the British were fixated in order to operate, sealed Malaya’s fall.
Blood, Tears and Folly does supply, if not the promised objective look at World War 2 then at least a different one. It stresses the importance of supply and logistics, factors which still determine the outcome of wars.
Deighton splits his book between the main theatres of war starting with “The Battle of the Atlantic,” going on to “Hitler Conquers Europe,” “The Mediterranean War,” “The War in the Air,” “Barbarossa: The Attack on Russia” then “Japan Goes to War” - all of which deal mostly with the early encounters - before concluding with ‘Went the Day Well?’ a short scamper through how they all turned out.
In order to illuminate the Second World War and its origins Deighton delves into earlier History in his start to each section and makes some often overlooked observations.
The pre-Great War British refusal to build new bigger dock yards meant that, individually, its ships were seriously inferior to German ones, especially in regard to using watertight bulkheads to resist being sunk, a difference which revealed itself at the Battle of Jutland. More contentiously Deighton says Germany might well have won the Great War had the US not entered.
(Aside; after the German Spring offensive ran itself out in 1918 when their troops overextended their supply chain and discovered how well supplied the Allies were - especially with wine, but also matériel - they were always on the back foot and defeat became inevitable. How much the US contribution affected this is at least debatable.)
As regards the later conflict he notes that in the 1939-45 war India contributed “the largest volunteer army that history had ever recorded.” (Indian troops made up the bulk of the “British” Army in North Africa.)
In the sea war German gun-laying radar (of which the Royal Navy were largely ignorant) gave the Kreigsmarine surface ships a considerable advantage. Coupled with HMS Hood’s lack of deck armour - another example of that Great War design inferiority - making it vulnerable to plunging fire its sinking was all but inevitable.
To avoid damaging the German economy Hitler wanted short sharp wars; the blitzkrieg technique was employed for that reason. As a result German munitions production was not maximised till after the advance into Russia bogged down, by which time it was too late. Germany had been plentifully supplied by the Soviet Union before June 1941. All its plunder from the invasion of Russia never equalled that earlier provision. That invasion was utterly senseless, but of course ideologically driven. Plus, the planning staff had “wrongly assessed their enemy and formulated a plan that could never have conquered him.”
A statement which may surprise most British (and indeed USian) readers was that “Rommel was not one of the war’s great generals.” In Germany he is thought of as a product of Nazi propaganda. “His fatal flaw was his inability to see the importance of logistics.” While good - exceptional - as a divisional commander Deighton says Rommel needed a superior to keep him under control and make him understand the less glamorous realities of supply and maintenance. Despite his blame of them Italian merchant seamen are described as “nothing less than heroic in their performance” (providing to the Afrika Korps 800 tons per division per day on average.) By contrast “voracious” US armoured divisions in North West Europe required only 600 tons per day including fuel. The Luftwaffe’s parachute army had been all but used up in Crete and so was not available for an attack to deprive the Allies of Malta.
“The war’s decisive battle was won in the factories.” For every ship the Axis built the Allies built ten and there was a crucial German shortage of trucks. German lack of a strategic bomber force meant the Soviet Union’s factories beyond the Urals were safe from harassment. However, the RAF’s belief in strategic bombing as a decisive war winning weapon was a delusion. It wasn’t accurate enough and didn’t demoralise the population.
The shift from coal to oil in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century had changed the strategic landscape. “It is tempting to depict the Second World War as nothing but a struggle for oil.” In Japan’s case that is undoubtedly true and Deighton stresses the importance of Zhukov’s victory over the Japanese at Khalkin Gol in 1939 in concentrating their efforts away from the far eastern Soviet Union. Indeed, their attack on Pearl Harbor dismayed German troops on the Eastern Front.
In Malaya, British troops were overloaded with equipment – heavy boots, steel helmet, webbing pack on the back, another at the side, gas-mask bag on the chest, all held together by webbing fitted with brass buckles (which if unpolished were punished severely.) Not to mention the ten-pound weight of a Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet (a rifle not suited to jungle warfare.) This disadvantage, and a certain inability to perceive that a lighter, nimbler Army might not need the roads on which the British were fixated in order to operate, sealed Malaya’s fall.
Blood, Tears and Folly does supply, if not the promised objective look at World War 2 then at least a different one. It stresses the importance of supply and logistics, factors which still determine the outcome of wars.
July 10, 2021
A book that should be read by every WW2 aficionado. Very British focused (Deighton after all), much shorter coverage of the eastern and far eastern theatres but he is unsparing in his commentary about British incompetence
July 19, 2017
World War II from a decidedly Eurocentric (and English) perspective. The book has depth, especially in examining the political and economic background for the European War. It is also very readable though gets thick at times. The Pacific war is hardly included, and the sections on the preludes to the Asian war are very thin. To be honest, the book was very long with just the European material covered. I found that some of the section transitions were lacking, so the switches to a new topic were jarring. I enjoyed the book anyhow, and look forward to reading more of his work. Pretty good for someone who only knew the author as the writer of the spy potboiler "Ipcress File!"
July 2, 2018
Neither objective nor a history, exactly, in that it deals with everything from the Franco-Prussian War in the 1870s up through 1941 (and stops there). But a tremendous book, appropriate for the WWII novice and cognoscenti alike. Deighton pulls no punches and makes hamburger of a few sacred cows (you should see what he says about Enigma). This makes for a highly readable book that has the draw of a novel.
Be warned that he breaks the war into pieces that happen simultaneously, so the Atlantic sphere is dealt with long before the Battle of Britain. It works surprisingly well. Highly recommended.
Be warned that he breaks the war into pieces that happen simultaneously, so the Atlantic sphere is dealt with long before the Battle of Britain. It works surprisingly well. Highly recommended.
October 26, 2018
Leave your blind patriotism at the door
Quite simply the best book on WWII that I've ever read. It has disavowed me of any notion that Allied victory was inevitable. The war was won in spite of the British way of life not because of it.
Quite simply the best book on WWII that I've ever read. It has disavowed me of any notion that Allied victory was inevitable. The war was won in spite of the British way of life not because of it.
March 24, 2018
WW II through the lens of an industrialist. Excellent read and an enlightening perspective.
May 25, 2018
Once over lightly if you're an habitual reader of WW2 so much is familiar. Pity...
January 18, 2021
very well written, remarkable broad yet deep view and ample research
June 18, 2023
Great look at the British handling of the first few years of world war 2.
December 14, 2023
Solid history of first years of the war. Some new points: for example, impact of poor English education. Worth reading.
July 17, 2022
I think this is the best book I have read on World War 2. This is no lightweight call as the subject has had a lifelong fascination for me, as clearly for someone who was born in 1938 it is the single event which dominated my early life. The author takes a comprehensive view and traces the political background that caused the conflict in Europe and in Asia and economic aspects like the need for oil, which was integral to the need for war for Germany and Japan. He also shows the delight that the warring parties had for censorship, which help conceal incompetence on the part of high ranking Government officials and the military. For example, the poor planning by the Luftwafe in ignoring building a bomber force and the success of US submarines late in the war which was concealed, even though they had cut oil supplies to mainland Japan to nil by 1945, for fear that it would reduce the image of the regular navy with their aircraft carriers and destroyers. Len Deighton is a master writer, who I have neglected for several years, but as a result of reading this book, I have downloaded 'Fighter' and 'Bomber', for a second read, which are two books of his that I enjoyed a few years ago.
April 21, 2024
This book was a readable and interesting look at several facets of World War II. Focusing on the period from the start of the war up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Deighton attempts to present a objective look at what happened and analyze the factors contributing to the outcome. The material is arranged topically, beginning with the naval battle in the Atlantic, moving to the German conquering of Europe, the war in Italy and North Africa, the battle of air forces, the German assault on Russia, following by the Japanese war in the Pacific.
There is a lot of material covered in this book. It was tedious at times, particularly if you’re not a war history buff, but it was quite informative. He does not provide a dry recounting of events but traces back to the root of the conflicts and provides an analysis of why things happened the way the did, and what might have been different.
Read my full review...
There is a lot of material covered in this book. It was tedious at times, particularly if you’re not a war history buff, but it was quite informative. He does not provide a dry recounting of events but traces back to the root of the conflicts and provides an analysis of why things happened the way the did, and what might have been different.
Read my full review...
March 24, 2016
Read several chapters. I agree with those that say this work might better have been subtitled "A SUBJECTIVE look". I'm not convinced that statements like "A wiser man would have wanted to fight the Moscow battle first." (p469) are particularly objective. Similarly statements such as "Hitler's idea was inconceivable" (462) led me to wonder if the author understands what inconceivable means. And I'm not sure I've ever read a serious work of history that referenced an article in Strategy & tactics magazine.
Bottom line, this is a pop title that makes history approachable in a light-hearted way but falls flat as either solid history or engaging read.
Purchased for $1.50 and re-donated.
Bottom line, this is a pop title that makes history approachable in a light-hearted way but falls flat as either solid history or engaging read.
Purchased for $1.50 and re-donated.
June 10, 2011
I'm currently through this WW2 epic. Its a complete look at the conflict in a way history books and documentaries rarely do. It covers the entire war in depth and with plenty historical backgroung in an unbiased manner.
Deighton writes exceptionally well and manages to breathe plenty of life into a well covered subject. He brings the main characters vividly to life and imparts information in an almost novel style. It is certainly the best written and most comperhensive book I have read on this subject.
Deighton writes exceptionally well and manages to breathe plenty of life into a well covered subject. He brings the main characters vividly to life and imparts information in an almost novel style. It is certainly the best written and most comperhensive book I have read on this subject.
August 3, 2012
A less than hagiagraphic account of the Allies' war effort, focusing on strategic missteps, logistical blunders and self-serving myths which are part of any war effort, but rarely make it into the history books if you win. In a way, it makes the Allied victory in World War II that much more impressive because while the Germans, Japanese and Italians had been preparing for years and hit the ground having already cut their teeth in Spain, China and Ethiopia, the Allies were basically wartime amateurs having to learn on the job.
March 4, 2015
Great, if iconoclastic, book. One reviewer felt Deighton didn't fit the role of historian but I must take exception. Perhaps not a historian in the classical bent, reciting time lines and cold facts but instead coloring them in and while at it, luring the reader into a place where s/he can sense the physics, notice the weather, feel the aircraft and the turbulence and perhaps get just a bit better perspective of how it might have been to be part of the grand scheme of war. Even conveying the secret some of us learned the hard way: there was no grand scheme.
February 14, 2009
An engrossing & objective overview of the Second Great War: from the interwar elements of WWI's fallout that gave an accelerant to the Axis' cause; the error inherent in man's military & political ideals; entanglements of each sides respective "wings" of combat.
Overall, the Limey Deighton scribed a valuable expose' that brings a keen edge to WWII discussion, & a somber word of what pitiful things cause unabridged destruction.
Overall, the Limey Deighton scribed a valuable expose' that brings a keen edge to WWII discussion, & a somber word of what pitiful things cause unabridged destruction.
August 9, 2011
This is an interesting read. I do recommend this book to anyone who is interested in getting a different take on WWII.
Although I don't care much for Deighton's opening summary of events leading to the second world war. His opinions are to general.
The fact that all the mistakes were made by every side and all the key decision makers, just sums up human nature, politics and war.
Although I don't care much for Deighton's opening summary of events leading to the second world war. His opinions are to general.
The fact that all the mistakes were made by every side and all the key decision makers, just sums up human nature, politics and war.
August 26, 2014
A good enough read which provides a very quick canter through the causes and execution of the Second World War but as a previous reviewer has written Deighton is not an historian. That said he admits it himself. Although sub-titled "an objective look" I found it a little too subjective at times. If you want a whistle stop tour of WW2 then this will provide a decent overview of the major incidents.
July 26, 2008
If you have the time to read only two books about WW II then you read this one and Keegan's "6 armies in Normandy".
It's very thick but also very pleasant to read. Deighton is at the top of his form as a non-fic writer here. I've read hundreds of books on WW II and no one, pro or "amateur" does a better summary of the whole war, with the most recent historical findings in it.
It's very thick but also very pleasant to read. Deighton is at the top of his form as a non-fic writer here. I've read hundreds of books on WW II and no one, pro or "amateur" does a better summary of the whole war, with the most recent historical findings in it.
June 5, 2015
This book talk about the United States verse Germany and other communist nation.They joined the United Nation and NATO in order to protect themselves and there citizens while Germany try to spread communism to to other axis nation.But the war end equally because there where both superpower that was equal
June 18, 2019
A fascinating read, full of well researched detail, debunking myths and lazy stereotypes. There is so much detail that it will reward multiple readings.
The way it is structured, with sections covering different aspects of the war from start to finish makes for a slightly dissatisfying sense of progression and overall thesis but that should not dissuade anyone from reading it.
The way it is structured, with sections covering different aspects of the war from start to finish makes for a slightly dissatisfying sense of progression and overall thesis but that should not dissuade anyone from reading it.
February 16, 2011
An excellent look at World War II from the British perspective. The US's involvement is not emphasized as much as Great Britian's. Len Deighton goes into great detail about the weapons and tactics of both the Allies and Axis. For such an extensive subject, the book is a fast-paced read.
April 22, 2013
Histories of stupidity are easy to write. The author, by definition, knows more than the participants at the time. Even the great Barbara Tuchman succumbed.
Deighton's a good read, but this isn't great history.
Deighton's a good read, but this isn't great history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews