The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two
The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two

Author: Richard Overy

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2015-04-09

Total Pages: 521

ISBN-13: 0191045381

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World War Two was the most devastating conflict in recorded human history. It was both global in extent and total in character. It has understandably left a long and dark shadow across the decades. Yet it is three generations since hostilities formally ended in 1945 and the conflict is now a lived memory for only a few. And this growing distance in time has allowed historians to think differently about how to describe it, how to explain its course, and what subjects to focus on when considering the wartime experience. For instance, as World War Two recedes ever further into the past, even a question as apparently basic as when it began and ended becomes less certain. Was it 1939, when the war in Europe began? Or the summer of 1941, with the beginning of Hitler's war against the Soviet Union? Or did it become truly global only when the Japanese brought the USA into the war at the end of 1941? And what of the long conflict in East Asia, beginning with the Japanese aggression in China in the early 1930s and only ending with the triumph of the Chinese Communists in 1949? In The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two a team of leading historians re-assesses the conflict for a new generation, exploring the course of the war not just in terms of the Allied response but also from the viewpoint of the Axis aggressor states. Under Richard Overy's expert editorial guidance, the contributions take us from the genesis of war, through the action in the major theatres of conflict by land, sea, and air, to assessments of fighting power and military and technical innovation, the economics of total war, the culture and propaganda of war, and the experience of war (and genocide) for both combatants and civilians, concluding with an account of the transition from World War to Cold War in the late 1940s. Together, they provide a stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible and fascinating episodes in world history.

Air Superiority In World War II And Korea [Illustrated Edition]
Air Superiority In World War II And Korea [Illustrated Edition]

Author: Richard H. Kohn

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2015-11-06

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 178625753X

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Includes over 20 illustrations. In November 1981, Lt. Gen. Hans H. Driessnack, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, asked the Historical Program to assemble a small number of retired officers for a group oral history interview. General Driessnack believed that in reminiscing together, these officers would recall incidents and experiences that might otherwise go unrecorded; by exchanging ideas and questioning each other—in effect, interviewing each other—they would recall material that would be of interest and importance to the Air Force today. General Driessnack also suggested selecting retired officers from the senior statesman conference, a gathering every spring at which retired four-star generals are briefed on Air Force issues and then discuss them with contemporary Air Force leaders. The result is the following interview. The four participants—Gen. James Ferguson, Gen. Robert M. Lee, Gen. William W. Momyer, and Lt. Gen. Elwood R. “Pete” Quesada—gathered on May 21, 1982, around a table in the Vandenberg room at the Bolling Air Force Base Officers’ Club. For approximately two and one half hours they responded to questions sent to them earlier and discussed air superiority in World War II and Korea. Their discussions ranged far and wide: flying in the pre-World War II Army Air Corps, campaigning in North Africa and Western Europe in World War II, planning and participating in the Normandy invasion, using secret intelligence supplied by Ultra, struggling to codify tactical air doctrine in the post-war years, fighting the air battle in Korea, and thinking about the general problem of air superiority throughout their careers. This collective interview is not history but the source material on which history rests; it is a memoir, a first-hand account by air leaders who flew, fought, and commanded tactical air forces in combat.

The Columbia History of Post-World War II America
The Columbia History of Post-World War II America

Author: Mark Christopher Carnes

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 533

ISBN-13: 0231121261

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Beginning with an analysis of cultural themes and ending with a discussion of evolving and expanding political and corporate institutions, The Columbia History of Post-World War II America addresses changes in America's response to the outside world; the merging of psychological states and social patterns in memorial culture, scandal culture, and consumer culture; the intersection of social practices and governmental policies; the effect of technological change on society and politics; and the intersection of changing belief systems and technological development, among other issues. Many had feared that Orwellian institutions would crush the individual in the postwar era, but a major theme of this book is the persistence of individuality and diversity. Trends toward institutional bigness and standardization have coexisted with and sometimes have given rise to a countervailing pattern of individualized expression and consumption. Today Americans are exposed to more kinds of images and music, choose from an infinite variety of products, and have a wide range of options in terms of social and sexual arrangements. In short, they enjoy more ways to express their individuality despite the ascendancy of immense global corporations, and this volume imaginatively explores every facet of this unique American experience.

The Oxford Companion to World War II
The Oxford Companion to World War II

Author: Ian Dear

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 1039

ISBN-13: 9780192806666

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From blitzkrieg and blackout to ghettos and Guadalcanal, World War II was a conflict that touched all nations and penetrated all aspects of people's lives. Sixty years after it ended, it still shapes the world we live in today. With over 1,750 A-Z entries, by more than 140 specialist contributors from Germany, Italy, and Japan, as well as from the Allied nations, the Companion provides uniquely worldwide coverage of the war. The strategies, forces, battles, and campaigns, and the social, political, and economicenvironments in which they operated are explored from both sides of the conflict. Every aspect of the war is covered: in-depth surveys of the countries involved in the conflict; politics and strategy; domestic and economic issues; resistance and intelligence; campaigns and battles; warfare and weapons; wartime leaders and influential people; slogans and slangThe Companion's comprehensive coverage and in-depth analysis are supported by hundreds of maps, charts, and diagrams, and a full chronology.