After the unprecedented destruction of the Great War, the world longed for a lasting peace. The victors, however, valued vengeance even more than stability and demanded a massive indemnity from Germany in order to keep it from rearming. The results, as eminent historian Norman Stone describes in this authoritative history, were disastrous. In World War Two, Stone provides a remarkably concise account of the deadliest war of human history, showing how the conflict roared to life from the ashes of World War One. Adolf Hitler rode a tide of popular desperation and resentment to power in Germany, promptly making good on his promise to return the nation to its former economic and military strength. He bullied Europe into giving him his way, and in so doing backed the victors of the Great War into a corner. Following the invasion of Poland in 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany -- a decision that, Stone argues, was utterly irrational. Yet Hitler had driven the world mad, and the rekindling of European hostilities soon grew to a conflagration that spread across the globe, fanned by political and racial ideologies more poisonous -- and weaponry more destructive -- than the world had ever seen. With commanding expertise, Stone leads readers through the escalation, climax, and mournful denouement of this sprawling conflict. World War Two is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the twentieth century and its defining struggle.

A collection of primary and secondary documents that offers students, scholars, and war buffs an extensive and easy-to-follow overview of World War I.

Discusses and examines the possible causes of World War I.

A comprehensive reference which details the events, places and participants of World War I.

This revised and updated interpretation of World War I highlights the revolutionary nature and legacy of the conflict of 1914-1919. It examines the political, economic, social and cultural history of the war at home as well as the war's origins, ending and subsequent legacy.

A visual guide to the causes, battles, and forces of World War I.

Presents the diplomatic, military, and political origins of World War I. Includes extracts from contemporary documents.

Examines the causes, course, and social implications of World War I, as well as technological and strategic advances of the time.

Discover the key battles, tactics, technologies, and turning points of the First World War - the epic conflict that was supposed to be "the war to end all wars." Combining authoritative, exciting text and bold images, The World War I Book explores the historical background of the war, its causes, all of the key events across the major theatres of conflict, and its aftermath. Using the original, graphic-led approach of the series, entries profile more than 90 of the key events during and surrounding the conflict - from the growing tensions between Europe's major powers to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the German invasion of Belgium, the endless slaughter in the trenches, the American entry into the war, the Russian Revolution, the Armistice, and the creation of the League of Nations. In this book, you can explore the following: -Key milestones of the First World War – exploring the technologies, tactics, and turning points. -Main theatres of the conflict and the experience of war – from civilian life to the horrors of gas attacks. -Bold imagery and clear text with insightful and inspiring quotes from military leaders and historians Offering a uniquely compelling, accessible, and immediate history of the war, The World War I Book shows how certain key battles, individual leaders, political and economic forces, and technological advances influenced the course of the conflict and the following decades. This book is part of the Big Ideas Simply Explained series, with other titles including The Art Book, The Architecture Book, and The Astronomy Book.

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