A reference to the ideological, military, political, biographical, and social topics surrounding World War II, which is often considered the pivotal event of the twentieth century.
World War II is captured in hundreds of compelling images, presenting the people, places, and politics involved in the epic conflict. Enter the story during the lead up to war, be in on the strategies and outcomes of major military battles around the world, and understand the aftermath of a conflict that still influences and impacts our world today. You'll meet the key players in thought-provoking profiles and discover their experiences firsthand, from national leaders sounding the orders to combatants on the front line and civilians left behind. Standout moments, including Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and the D-Day landings, are revealed in rarely seen color photographs and unforgettable eyewitness accounts. Explosive photography, international maps, accessible text, and supporting timelines combine to show the most destructive event ever known in fascinating depth and detail. World War II: The Definitive Visual Guide provides an unparalleled account of this devastating conflict, so we never forget and continue to learn from the past.
This comprehensive visual encyclopedia explores World War II in fascinating detail and explains why this global event must never be forgotten. World War II: Visual Encyclopedia shows children the causes, battles, people, and aftermath, while cutting-edge CGI technology brings infamous events back to life. Learn about weaponry, tanks, ships, aircraft, campaigns, and military strategies. Read firsthand accounts of major campaigns and battles throughout the war. Uncover hundreds of biographies of wartime leaders and brave soldiers who served on the battlefields. Find out how technological advances influenced the final outcome. Key information is available at a glance, alongside data boxes, facts and stats, and inspiring quotations. From the fastest fighter plane to the longest battle, you'll discover everything you ever wanted to know, and much, much more. Whether you're a history buff or simply want help on a school project, this standout reference covers every aspect of World War II and the important part it has played in world history.
World War II defined the 20th century and shaped many events, from the decolonization of Africa to the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. This encyclopedia offers a focused overview of this complex and volatile era, the circumstances that led up to war, the underlying causes, its unfolding and consequences. Organized for quick and precise access More than 1300 entries by 150 experts are arranged in six sections for easy reference and consultation. All the key ideas, events, actions, weapons, individuals, and organizations that played vital roles in the war are covered, from the Axis Pact to the Arab League, from the OSS to the Africa Korps, from the Chetniks to the Jedburghs, from the battle of Kursk to Operation Mincemeat, from Bill Donovan to Otto Skorzeny, from Gestapo to SMERSH, from Georgi Zhukov to Jean Leclerc, from the 88 gun to the Norden Bombsight. Covers important neglected subjects The Encyclopedia puts special emphasis on the often-neglected operations in Eastern Europe and Russia. A key section inspects and rates all the major weapons, with handy tables for easy comparison. And in recognition of the first large-scale participation of women in the war, the volume thoroughly documents their individual and unit contributions to the Allied effort. Finally, the encyclopedia discusses battlefield realties that explain, for example, why the airborne drops at Normandy succeeded and the ones at Arnheim failed. A bibliography, glossary, maps, photographs, and weapons and data tables enhance the coverage. Also includes 16 maps.
By the acclaimed author of Destroyers of World War Two, this book is a fully illustrated and highly detailed overview of the capital ships that saw action in the last war. Compiled with the assistance of naval authorities and experts from around the world, it includes not only detailed descriptions of the ships' armament and armour, full technical specifications, date of construction, service and engagement record, but also accounts of the ultimate fate of the ships.
From the P-51 Mustang and Supermarine Spitfire to the Yakovlev Yak-3, Messerschmitt Me 109, and Vought F4U Corsair, this comprehensive encyclopedia presents the most important aircraft flown by all the combatants in Europe and the Pacific. It provides specification boxes for each aircraft, listing powerplant, performance, weights, dimensions, and armament; a detailed description of its development and service history; and outstanding photographs and a three-view illustration for each one.
This is an expert guide to the uniforms of Britain, America, Germany, USSR and Japan, together with other Axis and Allied forces. It is an incredible directory of the military personnel of the period, with 600 images, including photographs and illustrations of uniforms, kit, weaponry and equipment. It analyses the context of the conflict, and the ideology and politics that motivated the various national forces, as well as the experience of the soldiers who fought on the front lines. World War II was a huge conflict, fought on different fronts, covering diverse terrain and involving the fighting men of dozens of nations. At the outbreak of war in 1945 military uniforms had changed little from those worn by the soldiers of World War I, but as the conflict progressed changes were made to adapt to fighting and living conditions. This book covers in detail what the soldiers who fought in the war wore, from British infantrymen in Normandy to Japanese troops in Burma, and from Finnish ski divisions to female Chinese partisans. Lavishly illustrated, with intricate insignia detail, this book offers a definitive visual study of a pivotal period of history.
Scholarly treatment of World War II is constantly changing as new materials inform new interpretations. At the same time, current military operations lead to reevaluation of the tactics and technologies of the past. Marshaling the latest information and insights into this epic conflict, World War II at Sea: An Encyclopedia will enable students and other interested readers to explore specific naval engagements, while also charting the transformation of naval history through innovations in ordnance. In treating the naval aspects of World War II, this two-volume ready reference enhances the understanding of a part of the war that is often overshadowed by the fighting on land and in the air. The encyclopedia focuses on the events, individuals, organizations, and ideas that shaped the world's navies during World War II, as well as the resultant battles that changed naval history. It also covers the numerous innovations that occurred during the conflict and shows how strategies evolved and were executed.