Eyewitness to World War II: Unforgettable Stories From History's Greatest Conflict

by Stephen G. Hyslop

The unforgettable story of World War II is told through the words of those who lived it—America’s greatest generation—both on the battlefield and the home front. Personal writings create a dramatic tapestry of wartime experience, and recollections of Roosevelt, Hitler, and Patton, as well as letters composed by soldiers at battle and diaries of women serving in the military at home, present an absorbing narrative that tells the entire history of the war from several perspectives. Hundreds of images capture fateful moments of triumph and defeat that defined the era, including rare photographs and artifacts, many never-before-seen from private collections that are placed in context with more famous photographs from the period. More than 20 authoritative National Geographic maps detail military movements and decisive battles in the European and Pacific theaters of war. These incredible, first-person stories, amazing moments of heroism, compelling imagery, and illuminating maps bring the entire history of World War II to life in vivid detail.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, World War II, War

432 pages, Hardcover

Published May 8, 2018

About the author

Stephen G. Hyslop worked for many years as a writer and editor at Time-Life Books, where he contributed to a series of books on American Indians.

Reviews

[Julian Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I have read many books on WWII and know almost everything about the conflict, I still like to read books on it because there are always new tidbits that I learn. This book is no exception. While this reads like a history textbook that would be in a high school or undergrad course, there was still a great story line to the book and a bunch of primary sources that shed new light on the conflict.

The two issues that I have are that first, the eyewitness accounts were placed in the book without any planning or purpose to them. I did not like to have to stop mid-paragraph to read an account of the conflict by a soldier, citizen, or other army personnel. The second issue I have is that the book just ended with the Unconditional surrender on September 2, 1945. I would have liked to see a conclusion that set the stage for the next 3/4 century.

Still a good read, and a pretty fast one too.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We, and all others who believe in freedom as deeply as we do, would rather die on our feet then live on our knees."-Franklin D. Roosevelt

[Steven Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title states: great stories that provide a short overview of World War II.

[lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice pictures