A War to be Won: Fighting the Second World War

by Williamson Murray, Allan Reed Millett

In the course of the twentieth century, no war looms as profoundly transformative or as destructive as World War II. Its global scope and human toll reveal the true face of modern, industrialized warfare.

Now, for the first time, we have a comprehensive, single-volume account of how and why this global conflict evolved as it did. 'A War to be Won' is a unique and powerful operational history of the Second World War that tells the full story of battle on land, on sea, and in the air.

Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett analyze the operations and tactics that defined the conduct of the war in both the European and Pacific Theaters. Moving between the war room and the battlefield, we see how strategies were crafted and revised, and how the multitudes of combat troops struggled to discharge their orders. The authors present incisive portraits of the military leaders, on both sides of the struggle, demonstrating the ambiguities they faced, the opportunities they took, and those they missed. Throughout, we see the relationship between the actual operations of the war and their political and moral implications.

'A War to be Won' is the culmination of decades of research by two of America's premier military historians. It avoids a celebratory view of the war but preserves a profound respect for the problems the Allies faced and overcame as well as a realistic assessment of the Axis accomplishments and failures. It is the essential military history of World War II-from the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 to the surrender of Japan in 1945-for students, scholars, and general readers alike.

Genres: History, Military History, Nonfiction, World War II, Military Fiction, War, American History

656 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1990

About the author

Williamson "Wick" Murray was an American historian and author. He authored numerous works on history and strategic studies, and served as an editor on other projects extensively. He was professor emeritus of history at Ohio State University from 2012 until his death.

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 4 out of 5]

-El Eje escribió una partitura y los Aliados acabaron interpretando la obra, al menos la mayoría de sus movimientos-.

Género. Historia.

Lo que nos cuenta. Monografía sobre la Segunda Guerra Mundial desde una perspectiva eminentemente militar, en el sentido más amplio de la palabra.

¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Malapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se trata de un libro estrictamente de historia militar. No hay en él reflexiones sobre la sociedad o la política de la época. Tampoco esperéis testimonios humanos al estilo de los libros de Antony Beevor. Aquí sólo hayaréis un compendio de las campañas militares y su desarrollo.

Esto condiciona la lectura del libro: hay ocasiones en que la avalancha de datos sobre tal o cual división y si la punta de lanza cruzó tal río acaban saturando al lector. Pero al mismo tiempo da una guía para entender el desarrollo de la contienda y a qué tuvieron que enfrentarse los contendientes.

Para mí la lectura ha sido un sube y baja continuo. Hay capítulos que se me han hecho eternos, como el introductorio donde repasa el estado de los ejercitos de los países beligerantes antes de la guerra, o el de la guerra submarina en el Atlántico. Sin embargo otros, como en el que describe el bombardeo estratégico aliado y su importancia en la guerra, el del inicio de la ofensiva en Francia o algunas partes de la lucha del Pacífico que me han resultado muy interesantes y me han revelado detalles que no conocía de lecturas anteriores más superficiales.

En resumen es un libro interesante si sabes a lo que vas y tienes interés en el tema. Abstenerse lectores casuales.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

How much I enjoyed reading this book: 2.65/5
How valuable I think this book is to WWII military history: 4/5
How great a source this would be for a paper on WWII military history: 5/5
How glad I am that I finally finished this book, having persevered to the end despite classes being over: 7/5

So I'm not a big fan of military history, preferring cultural, social, political, etc. much more. But I can't deny that this is a great history book (even though I didn't particularly enjoy it). There is a ton of information in this. It offers in-depth descriptions and explorations of various fronts, battles, people, and technology. While being Eurocentric, this book still covers a great deal of the Asian portion of the war (which is greatly appreciated). The last two chapters were entitled "Peoples at War" and "The Aftermath of War." "Peoples at War" really brought to my attention the significance of women during this war and, thanks to the suggested reading in the back, I have found some books to follow-up the research presented here on women during WWII. Hip hip hooray.

I didn't read the appendices because they were just way too much for someone not particularly interested in what they had to offer. But they offered a load of information on military organization, the conduct of war, weapons, and a section called "Exploring World War II," as well as notes, suggested reading, and the ever-glorious index.

I fully understand why this was assigned reading for my WWII history class. I feel like I really came out of this with a better understanding of the war as a whole. The other book assigned to my class was more to my liking (I should say loving), and that book was Japan At War: An Oral History.

[Dustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best works on WWII I have ever read. I originally bought this for a class, but had finished it before the half-way point of the semester. Not only is this book a great resource for scholarly historical research and the like, but it is also just an immensely fascinating work for anyone with an interest in history in general or with a focus on WWII. Yes, it focuses primarily on military history, but this does not limit its insight into the era as much as you may think. I recommend this book for both historians and lay-persons alike.

[Роман Селіверстов · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ну дууууже не вистачає ілюстрацій.

[Diego Varela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bastante largo y lento, un poco difícil de digerir pero excelente si estas muy interesado en los ámbitos muy específicos del conflicto

[Sam Seitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent general history of World War Two that is comprehensive, fair, and well-balanced. Published in 1990, the book is far from the most recent treatment of the subject, but it is still absolutely worth reading given how well-written and thorough it is. While the book is not as good at the macro-level statistics, like industrial output and logistics, as Edgerton or Hanson's work, it is certainly adequate. Where the book really shines, though, is in its detailed but concise coverage of their major battles and operations. It also does a fantastic job of profiling and describing the leaders, civilian and military, that directed the war. Although there is nothing particularly special about the book - it is simply a comprehensive history of World War Two - I loved it. It is detailed but fast-paced, analytical but largely unbiased, and overall just an excellent treatment of the topic. It should definitely be read by anyone seeking to learn more about the conflict, but even those who have a strong background in the literature would do well to skim through this book. I was surprised by how much I was able to learn from it!

[Eric Feller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid overview of World War 2. As a WW2 connoisseur, this wasn't one of my favorites but this is a good book to start with a summary of the Great War's origins and the use of weaponry. This book also goes into as much detail in the Asia and Pacific as much as Europe which a lot of books on the overview of World War 2 is lacking. I would recommend to anyone looking to get a start on the subject of World War 2.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very thorough look at World War II, examining strategy in detail and presenting the complex issues and personalities that drove the war forward. There is some authorial bias (I was rather amused by how snarky they were over Bradley) but for the most part it stays neutral. It's an extremely valuable resource if you want to study World War II.

[Sean Chick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The language is direct and I dug the conclusions the authors made because they go against most other histories of the war. Where this book stumbles a bit is in examining the Eastern Front and the early Pacific War and because they make some factual errors and the writing slacks off.

[Bob Lundquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for all. It is comprehensive and easy to read. Covers all the aspects of the war and its aftermath. Maps are excellent. An excellent way for anyone to get familiar with the war and how it affects us now.

[Jess Kissir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Even though I read this for a class, I enjoyed it very much. Definitely one of the best WWII books I've read.

[Joel McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

No detail overlooked. An easy read put together with precision and neutrality. Both sides of the conflict are covered.

[Andrii Budzyk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Книга хороша, автори дуже глибоко проаналізували всі доступні їм джерела, але як можна було її зіпсувати таким поганим перекладом, жахливою коректурою та редактурою. В книзі безліч помилок, прізвища генералів та інших діячів написані з помилками, до прикладу Джорджа Маршалла, автора плану відновлення повоєнної Європи, написали з 3-ма "Л" (Маршаллл) і т.д. Перекладач взагалі не тямить в найменуваннях військової техніки та термінології того часу. Варто було звернутися за консультаціями до відповідних фахівців. Видавці вирішили не друкувати ані фотографії ані карти, які були в оригінальній англомовній версії книги, це дуже негативно вплинуло на якість цього видання.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book on Judy Woodruff's bookshelf while watching the PBS Newshour. I thought the title looked intriguing, so I got it and read it. This book is much more detailed around the politics and strategy of the war and less about individual battles. It is all encompassing and speaks about the origins of WWII , the years during the war, and the post war years. I found te book to be well written and interesting.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book about ww2.

[Joe Pickert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dense and informative but also dry. This book took me over 3 years to finally finish

[Jassar SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

One will be to finish this book only if you have some flare for military history. But the book gives a detailed yet precise description of almost all the events of World War II.

[Ludo Dewolf · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is only parotting the old nazi racist anti Italian attacks .
Example : The British had to shatter Rommel's Panzer Armee Africa and its supporting Italian divisions .

[Daniel D. Imholte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Comprehensive, factual, detailed without mind numbness, and makes the “important” points. Will keep a copy for future reference. Well worth the read

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a college course. Loved it. The style of writing is easy to read, the details are great. Rented the book from the campus bookstore, may just buy it.

[Adam Gossman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be twice as long

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive and broad overview, from two expert military historians.

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for school. Pretty dry but informative.

[Pedro Degiovanni · Rating 3 out of 5]

It presents a good overview of the war with a focus on operations. Due to its age, it offers relatively little new knowledge to someone already familiar with the conflict.

[Don Budowsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read about WW II

This is a comprehensive history of WW II. It provides operational accounts of all the major battles and is chock full of lots of information about the war

[Nicole Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the author being incredibly long winded (which is arguably quite necessary when discussing history) this book was great and provides incredible insight into all sides of WWII.

[R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book so fast for a class on World War 2 at American Military University that I don't feel as though I got the most out of it without the time to really contemplate things. That being said it is a great book, one of the better researched and comprehensive books on any war that I have ever read. This book is beyond worthy of admiration as far as great works of history go.

Murray manages to remain as neutral and unbiased as just about anyone that I have ever seen. The book is packed full of quantifiable data used to back up his conclusions. Everything from the number of Submarines that each nation produced per year to the capacity that they were running factories producing ball bearings at and at how many locations throughout a particular area.

There were someone areas that I wish had been delved into in more detail but there is no way that you can do that, picking and choosing what gets more detail and what gets less when you're trying to write something as comprehensive as this work on so vast and complex a topic. I would say that if you knew nothing about the Second World War this would be a good place to start because it isn't too complex for the novice yet it would also be worth reading for someone who has made a study of the war previously. I guarantee that no matter what you think you know about the war you will learn something new from this.

[Mike Harbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Williamson Murray and Allen Millet are two very accomplished military historians and excellent writers. In "A War To Be Won" they offer a very readable and comprehensive campaign history of the Second World War. They do a wonderful job of portraying key personalities involved in the conflict and strike an appropriate balance between setting the stage for what was happening diplomatically and tying the various campaigns together to present a cohesive and succinct history of the war. I believe that this book will serve both the accomplished student of the war as well as the beginning student or armchair historian. This is not so much a battle history as a study of the major campaigns and the strategy that drove them.

This book is an excellent resource and is highly recommend to anyone who wishes to understand World War II better. Highly recommended.

[06RhettB · Rating 4 out of 5]

the main issue of the book is that the axis want to take over the world. the protagoests are the allies and the antitagonists are the axis. the book was about when the nazi ans japanis army want to take over the world and the allies didnt want them to. The amercans joined the war when the japanies attacked pearl harbor. The nazis stopped fighting in the war when the russian army made it to the reach and hitler killed himself. and when the japanis stopped therefor ending the war was when the americans went and dropped two atomic bombs on two of the cities. what i liked about the book was that they went into deep detail when explaining. the theme of the book was war. i would recomend the book to ben because he likes war books. it talks about the war from the very begining.