Name: The Second World War
ISBN: 9780316023757

The Second World War

Over the past two decades, Antony Beevor has established himself as one of the world's premier historians of WWII. His multi-award winning books have included Stalingrad and The Fall of Berlin 1945. Now, in his newest and most ambitious book, he turns his focus to one of the bloodiest and most tragic events of the twentieth century, the Second World War. In this searing narrative that takes us from Hitler's invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939 to V-J day on August 14th, 1945 and the war's aftermath, Beevor describes the conflict and its global reach -- one that included every major power. The result is a dramatic and breathtaking single-volume history that provides a remarkably intimate account of the war that, more than any other, still commands attention and an audience. Thrillingly written and brilliantly researched, Beevor's grand and provocative account is destined to become the definitive work on this complex, tragic, and endlessly fascinating period in world history, and confirms once more that he is a military historian of the first rank. - Publisher.

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hangonhnOct 2014

A few more I would add ( not sure if they are "professional" enough but all very insightful and similar to the existing ones on that list ).

1. Boyd ( http://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Fighter-Pilot-Who-Changed-ebook/d... ) - Came up with the EM theory that gave the air force the analytical framework to analyze dog fighting maneuvers and aircraft. Known for authoring the OODA loop and leading the infamous Fighter Mafia that gave us the F-16 and F/A-18

2. Warfight ( http://www.amazon.com/Warfighting-M-Gray-ebook/dp/B00DPTK4ZE... ) Boyd' OODA ideas distilled into a book

3. The American Way of War ( http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Way-War-University/dp/B00... )

4. Engineers of Victory ( http://www.amazon.com/Engineers-Victory-Problem-Solvers-Turn... ) - a decent account of how middle level officers solve problems that allowed strategies to be realized

5. Makers of Modern Strategy ( http://www.amazon.com/Makers-Modern-Strategy-Machiavelli-Nuc... )

6. The German Army ( http://www.amazon.com/German-Army-1933-1945-Matthew-Cooper/d... ) - A great account of the rise and fall of the German army, including its innovations caused by the constraints imposed on it and its fall

7. Panzer Battles ( http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Battles-Major-General-von-Melle... ) - a great account how the various battles fought by the German army and where they excelled and where their shortcomings are and vice versa for their enemies.

8. The Second World War( http://www.amazon.com/Second-World-War-Antony-Beevor-ebook/d... ) - Great "summary" of the Second World War, including the civilian dimension.

9. Panzer Leader ( http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Leader-Heinz-Guderian/dp/030681... ) - a history of the development and deployment of the German panzer armies by the father of tank warfare himself.

10. Six Days of War ( http://www.amazon.com/Days-June-Making-Modern-Middle/dp/B004... )

11. The Yom Kippur War ( http://www.amazon.com/Yom-Kippur-War-Encounter-Transformed-e... ) - an account of the Yom Kippur War and how the Israelis were blind to the innovations of the Egyptian army that upended its defense strategy based on tanks and aircraft and also how a near victory for the Egyptians allowed them to negotiate a peace with Israel.

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ArchelaosSep 2023

I agree with everything, except that I would not call the German reaction to Russia's fast mobilization "panicking". The German war planning was very aware of the meager prospects of a two-front war and that in order for a fast victory it was mandatory to beat France before Russia was (supposedly) ready. The fast Russian advance into Germany was just unexpected, and there existed simply no developed plan for such a situation. And of course no one would have wanted to simply let the Russians march through to Berlin.

To add to the debate about Cannae: Talking strategy is talking about abstract principles. The abstract patterns are here "frontal assault" vs. "flank movement" with the aim of encirclement. This is the only relevant and quite vage analogy of the Schlieffen plan and Cannae. However, the Schlieffen plan as it was adopted (and modified) by the German army was a plan of an assault with a very strong and fast right wing, but at Cannae, the battle began with a frontal attack by both armies, with Hannibal subsequently having his centre retreat and later advancing both flanks and finally his cavalry into the back of the Romans to complete the encirclement. So the analogy between Cannae and the so-called Schlieffen plan is not very far-reaching.

If we are looking for a better analogy to Cannae, the German invasion of the Low Countries and France in May 1940 comes surprisingly close. Here the advancing Belgian, English and French armies failed to cover their right flank sufficiently. A hazardous, rapid German tank advance on this flank cut them off from possible lines of retreat and threatened to envelop them from behind. Only the beach at Dunkirk remained as a way of escape for some.

The German plan of May 1940 has been described by some historians such as Antony Beevor as a variant of the Schlieffen plan. Beevor writes in "The Second World War" (2012): "Manstein's [the author of the plan] left-hook Sichelschnitt was thus a reversal of the version of the right-hook Schlieffen plan attempted 1914, which the French now expected them to try a second-time." (p. 97) -- In other words: The French expected another attempt like 1914, they operated accordingly, for that very reason walked into a trap and were defeated by an exactly opposite flanking manoeuvre.

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