1940

by Richard Collier

1940: The World in Flames

Genres: History, World War II, Military History

377 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Richard Collier, was born in London, England in 1924. He joined the Royal Air Force at eighteen after that, as a war correspondent, he traveled throughout the Far East.

He worked on numerous British and American magazines and wrote more than half a dozen books about the Second World War.

Reviews

[Bernardo Camacho · Rating 4 out of 5]

1940 by Richard Collier is a powerful and sobering account of one of the darkest and most pivotal years in modern warfare. Collier expertly captures the global atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, and dread as totalitarian regimes in the form of Fascism and Nazism swept across Europe, threatening to extinguish democracy and freedom worldwide.

The book chronicles the swift and devastating fall of nations like France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Finland under the Nazi onslaught and the Soviet Union, while Britain stood alone, battered by relentless bombing during the Blitz. What makes this book stand out is how Collier weaves together not only the military and political events, but also the voices and emotions of everyday people who lived through those terrifying times.

With a sharp eye for detail and human insight, 1940 delivers a deeply immersive and moving historical narrative. A must-read for anyone interested in World War II or the resilience of the human spirit during moments of profound global crisis.

[Steven Keays · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb book. Real history written as if it were a suspense novel. Multitudinous minutia of details that really puts the reader into the frame of mind of the actors who actually lived through that hellish year. It is the only history book that I ever read that was so enthralling from start to finish, and riddled with insights, discoveries, facts, and realism. No need to be a history buff to enjoy this masterpiece. If it were a work of fiction, the reader might come away thinking that the author went overboard with impossible scenarios. That, if nothing else, drives home the point that this world war was unfathomable to the aloof spectator, and arrantly intolerable to all who partook in it, willingly or not.

[T. Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the dramatic 12 months of 1940, each chapter covering the events in chronological order. While the topic has been covered by many others, what sets this book apart is the extent to which Richard Collier derives his material from personal interviews in addition to archival sources. Because he was writing this book within a reasonable time period following the end of the war, he was able to meet with hundreds of individuals and get their eye-witness accounts - British, German, Italian, and French. Having been a war correspondent and journalist, he writes with a easy to read style that brings the dramatic events alive.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging read. Although a whistle stop tour of the events of 1940. It certainly made it clear as to why the first part of the war is known as the phoney war. Collier has an entertaing, yet sharp turn of phrase but manages to use both in a well balanced manner. The individual stories dotted throughout the political elements of the war, help humanise the events and once again bring home the full impact of the second world war.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed. As other reviewers have noted, written like a novel so it is an easy read. Filled with lots of interesting information. I particularly liked the global scope and how actions in one place impacted others and vice versa.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A succinct primer on the events of 1941 compiled in part by the threads of various individual’s narratives used, anecdotally, to convey broader themes. It’s a fine book for what it is - a high level summary of the year.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding retelling of the events of one of history's most important years, "1940" reads almost like a novel with its fine presentation of the people and events that made up that year. Collier does a masterful job of not only highlighting the major players who controlled the world's destiny, but also focuses on the everyday people whose lives were changed by the sweep of the war. A very readable and highly enjoyable book, highly recommended!