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World War II in Global Perspective, 1931-1953: A Short History
A comprehensive review of World War II that offers a global-level analysis
Written for academics and students of history, World War II in Global Perspective, 1931-1953 presents a dynamic and global account of the historical events prior to, during, and after World War II. The author--a noted expert on the topic--explores the main theaters of the war and discusses the connections between them. He also examines the impact of the war on areas of the world that are often neglected in historical accounts, including Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and the so-called 'neutral' countries. This comprehensive text clearly shows how in the struggle against the Axis powers, the United States replaced Britain as the global superpower.
The author discusses the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the Korean War (1950-1953) and argues that the core years of the war (1939-1945) cannot be understood without considering the turbulent events that framed them. The text puts World War II in context as a series of large regional conflicts that intersected and overlapped, finally emerging as a genuine "world war" with the formal entry of the United States in late 1941. This vital text:
Offers a comprehensive review of World War II that frames it in a global context Gives weight to the economic and political developments of the war Provides a robust account of the main military campaigns Contains illustrations and maps that themselves highlight little-known aspects of the global war
Written for academics and students of history, World War II in Global Perspective, 1931-1953 presents a dynamic and global account of the historical events prior to, during, and after World War II. The author--a noted expert on the topic--explores the main theaters of the war and discusses the connections between them. He also examines the impact of the war on areas of the world that are often neglected in historical accounts, including Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and the so-called 'neutral' countries. This comprehensive text clearly shows how in the struggle against the Axis powers, the United States replaced Britain as the global superpower.
The author discusses the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the Korean War (1950-1953) and argues that the core years of the war (1939-1945) cannot be understood without considering the turbulent events that framed them. The text puts World War II in context as a series of large regional conflicts that intersected and overlapped, finally emerging as a genuine "world war" with the formal entry of the United States in late 1941. This vital text:
Offers a comprehensive review of World War II that frames it in a global context Gives weight to the economic and political developments of the war Provides a robust account of the main military campaigns Contains illustrations and maps that themselves highlight little-known aspects of the global war
264 pages, Paperback
Published May 7, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 9, 2024
This is an excellent general overview of World War II that makes a point to diverge from standard histories that only prioritize a few Ally-perspectives. It emphasizes the global nature of the war from the points of view of nearly everyone involved. If you think you already know WWII history, this book will definitely change your mind. It’s structured chronologically and systematically goes through every region affected by the war from year to year. I was especially curious to learn about how the Middle East and the African continent were dragged into their neighboring European conflicts. There’s also a lot of interesting information about the wars that ravaged mainland Asia. I didn’t realize just how international some of these seemingly local skirmishes were. At one point in Burma, for example, there were foreign soldiers fighting each other who had come from India, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, China, Korea, America, Britain, and more. And some of the Indians were even working for opposing sides.
It’s a very broad history that doesn’t go into great depth for any particular event, but gives enough of a sense for how each of them fits into the grander global war. For those who want to expand their knowledge even more about the different conflicts, there are also plenty of references and notes after each chapter.
At the end, Buchanan hints that as the American-led world order is showing signs of crumbling— with the short American century as he calls it— each of these individual narratives will gain relevance as we develop a more multi-faceted appreciation of our interconnected histories. The war’s standard narratives neglect just how worldwide it actually was. It affected us all, and so this book takes that necessary first step to correct and perhaps develop a more universal collective understanding of it.
I want to give this five stars because of how much it opened my eyes to the truly interconnected nature of WWII, and helped place me in a better position as I plan to continue learning about the era of decolonization that succeeded these wars. This was the perfect book to read.
It’s a very broad history that doesn’t go into great depth for any particular event, but gives enough of a sense for how each of them fits into the grander global war. For those who want to expand their knowledge even more about the different conflicts, there are also plenty of references and notes after each chapter.
At the end, Buchanan hints that as the American-led world order is showing signs of crumbling— with the short American century as he calls it— each of these individual narratives will gain relevance as we develop a more multi-faceted appreciation of our interconnected histories. The war’s standard narratives neglect just how worldwide it actually was. It affected us all, and so this book takes that necessary first step to correct and perhaps develop a more universal collective understanding of it.
I want to give this five stars because of how much it opened my eyes to the truly interconnected nature of WWII, and helped place me in a better position as I plan to continue learning about the era of decolonization that succeeded these wars. This was the perfect book to read.
February 6, 2022
I read this as a companion to Jacques Pauwels' The Myth of the Good War and while it did do a decent job of laying the groundwork for World War II, his Trotskyist hatred for Stalin was so insufferable. Seriously, he made multiple analogies between Stalin and Hitler, and seemed pained to acknowledge anything decent that the Soviet Union did (and if he ever did, it was always despite the monster, Stalin). Usually I can look past that stuff but this was so saturated with it. I also took issue with his word economy, like having just one sentence on the bombing of Dresden but plenty of space to talk about the horrors of Stalin, and at the end, Mao. But with that said, I did learn a good amount about the basics of the war (dates, wars, mobilizations, etc) which is what I was looking for.
I would suggest reading Jacques Pauwels for both WWI ( The Great Class War ) and WWII ( The Myth of the Good War ) and Domenico Losurdo for an analysis of the Second Thirty Years War ( War and Revolution ) and Stalin ( Stalin: The History and Critique of a Black Legend ).
I would suggest reading Jacques Pauwels for both WWI ( The Great Class War ) and WWII ( The Myth of the Good War ) and Domenico Losurdo for an analysis of the Second Thirty Years War ( War and Revolution ) and Stalin ( Stalin: The History and Critique of a Black Legend ).
September 13, 2024
The only textbook I have ever actually read start to finish.
April 14, 2024
slayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
February 17, 2021
A top-notch summary and analysis of World War II. I recommend it as an important resource for any student of modern history.
To be more accurate, this book is an account of the "intersecting series of events" of economics, politics, and wars that were in place in the mid-twentieth century - this includes events that occur well before and after what many Americans conventionally know as World War II.
Professor Andrew Buchanan does an amazing job going through two decades of history and interpreting them through a "global perspective". From World War I, to the interwar years, to WWII, and the years following, Buchannan not only provides a detailed history of events, but also links them to the developing forces and powers of the world. Prominent examples include the USA's emergence as a world power and their conscious efforts throughout the war to create a favorable postwar order. And just as important, how the war forced imperial powers such as Britain and France to utilize their colonies in ways that would stimulate decolonization in the future. These are only two examples, there are many more through lines and developments throughout the world that Buchanan covers, expanding on a history many (including me) usually associate with the war.
The book is an impressively thorough, yet succinct, walkthrough of the war. It not only refreshed my knowledge of the war, but also taught me of events I never knew about - for example, American landings in North Africa (the Darlan Deal), the importance of partisan uprisings in European countries and subsequent Allied interventions, the importance of Indian troops throughout the world, and US soldiers protesting for demobilization from China in 1946.
I wouldn't necessarily say this is an entry-level book to learn from - because it is so short it can be a bit dense and unload lots of information in some sections (for example, the numerous political groups in China may overload those unfamiliar with the Chinese Civil War). Readers will get the most benefit from this book if they already know the outline of WWII and the general history of countries involved - or at least if they're prepared to use companion sources like Wikipedia to familiarize themselves with unfamiliar people or events.
That being said, the book capably explains concepts and events well enough that I think students as early as high school could pick it up. Its short length (229 pages), concise and comprehensive writing, and detailed maps make this a truly valuable resource. I will certainly keep this close by for years to come as an on-hand reference for WWII knowledge.
To be more accurate, this book is an account of the "intersecting series of events" of economics, politics, and wars that were in place in the mid-twentieth century - this includes events that occur well before and after what many Americans conventionally know as World War II.
Professor Andrew Buchanan does an amazing job going through two decades of history and interpreting them through a "global perspective". From World War I, to the interwar years, to WWII, and the years following, Buchannan not only provides a detailed history of events, but also links them to the developing forces and powers of the world. Prominent examples include the USA's emergence as a world power and their conscious efforts throughout the war to create a favorable postwar order. And just as important, how the war forced imperial powers such as Britain and France to utilize their colonies in ways that would stimulate decolonization in the future. These are only two examples, there are many more through lines and developments throughout the world that Buchanan covers, expanding on a history many (including me) usually associate with the war.
The book is an impressively thorough, yet succinct, walkthrough of the war. It not only refreshed my knowledge of the war, but also taught me of events I never knew about - for example, American landings in North Africa (the Darlan Deal), the importance of partisan uprisings in European countries and subsequent Allied interventions, the importance of Indian troops throughout the world, and US soldiers protesting for demobilization from China in 1946.
I wouldn't necessarily say this is an entry-level book to learn from - because it is so short it can be a bit dense and unload lots of information in some sections (for example, the numerous political groups in China may overload those unfamiliar with the Chinese Civil War). Readers will get the most benefit from this book if they already know the outline of WWII and the general history of countries involved - or at least if they're prepared to use companion sources like Wikipedia to familiarize themselves with unfamiliar people or events.
That being said, the book capably explains concepts and events well enough that I think students as early as high school could pick it up. Its short length (229 pages), concise and comprehensive writing, and detailed maps make this a truly valuable resource. I will certainly keep this close by for years to come as an on-hand reference for WWII knowledge.
December 6, 2019
A masterfully written concise history of World War II, emphasizing the global nature of the conflict.
In the midst of a largely Anglo-American dominated historiography of the conflict, Andrew Buchanan's text not only extends the war's chronological boundaries to encompass the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the end of the Korean War in 1953, but also sheds light on how the war operated to reconfigure the world's economic, political, and militaristic power structures (in favor of the least damaged belligerent--the United States).
Many pages are given to describe rapid technological and economic innovations, the political transformation of European colonies, and the often neglected theatres of the war, such as sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Buchanan's attention to the periods outside of the core years (1939-45) helps to foreground his arguments related to the changing global forces of capitalism, communism, and autarky, that in the end, delivers a narrative that masterfully strings together all of the seemingly isolated theatres of war and their major players.
Overall, Buchanan's contribution to the historiography of World War II is an important step toward reshaping how the narrative aught to be taught across the US, if not the entire world.
In the midst of a largely Anglo-American dominated historiography of the conflict, Andrew Buchanan's text not only extends the war's chronological boundaries to encompass the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the end of the Korean War in 1953, but also sheds light on how the war operated to reconfigure the world's economic, political, and militaristic power structures (in favor of the least damaged belligerent--the United States).
Many pages are given to describe rapid technological and economic innovations, the political transformation of European colonies, and the often neglected theatres of the war, such as sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Buchanan's attention to the periods outside of the core years (1939-45) helps to foreground his arguments related to the changing global forces of capitalism, communism, and autarky, that in the end, delivers a narrative that masterfully strings together all of the seemingly isolated theatres of war and their major players.
Overall, Buchanan's contribution to the historiography of World War II is an important step toward reshaping how the narrative aught to be taught across the US, if not the entire world.
May 14, 2020
This was a great concise history of WWII. Placing the war in global perspective provides significant insight into global politics of the past and present. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews