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Summary: Excellant examination of varied reasons for Allied victory.
Review: Richard Overy's examines in depth why the Allies won World War II. That the Allies had larger populations and bigger economies tells only a fraction of the story. Mr. Overy describes how the Allies mobilized their "economic, scientific, and moral resources" during several difficult years when the final outcome was still in doubt. He gives credit to the Soviets for the decisive defeat of the German army aided by the U.S. and British defeat of the German air force. Mr. Overy style is very readable and accessible as he details the complex interaction of multiple and varied aspects of the conflict. I highly recommend this book not only to those interested in World War II, but to anyone who wishes to read history at its best, portrayed in all its depth and breadth.
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Summary: I join the praise
Review: A masterpiece of analytical history. I have no problem recomending this book!
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Summary: Different Perspectives
Review: A very readable and enjoyable book that offers several different and unique perspectives on World War II. Definitely worth the time and money.
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Summary: A Masterpiece of Synthesis
Review: In this very successful and widely praised book, written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, Richard Overy has managed to synthesise a vast range of subjects and data into a relatively short and convincing account of why the Allies eventually won. The book is useful both to those new to the subject and to those who may too know too much about it and need something more analytical to tie things together. To describe the book in summary terms, Professor Overy identifies the critical points of the conflict (Stalingrad and Kursk, the war in the Atlantic, the bombing of Germany and the invasion of Normandy), and shows how the Allies prevailed in each, often by the skin of their teeth. Overy rightly points out the centrality of Germany to most of the Allied participants in the war (according to Overy, the US spent 85% of its effort on Germany and only 15% on Japan and the numbers are even more lopsided for the USSR and Britain). Long before Germany fell, the much more backward economy of Japan was in shambles and its fighting capabilities destroyed. The famous American island battles against the Japanese used a fraction of the troops and weapons used against the Germans. Later, the author goes on to identify certain key themes and show how the Allies and Axis differed in their approaches to them - for example, in the organisation of industrial technology, the nature of political leadership, and the moral aspects of the war. One comes away from the book sobered by just how great the expenditure in lives and treasure was on both sides, how the eventual outcome was far from being inevitable, and how mind-bogglingly large the scale of the conflict was. A fine work of scholarship and synthesis, and one that gives the reader a lot to think about.
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Summary: Mostly Excellent, Very Well Done Effort!
Review: Mr. Overy states that the allies were able to unify the command of the war, as well as the industrial capacity to win the war. His descriptions of the USSR moving huge industrial complexes behind the Urals, and beyond the German reach, are about the best I've read. The main difference between 1942 and 1943 is that by 1943 the USA and the USSR were able to mobilize their vast and much larger military, industrial and manpower resources, a fact somewhat downplayed here, where the author stresses the top heavy organizational layers in German industry. Also, he makes little note that the Germans thought the war was practically over by 1941, after the fall of France, and their industry was still geared for consumer products, not military, and the Brits and later the Russians and Americans were 24 hour military operations. Many other sources state that the top Nazi leaders simply did not want women in the workforce, and produced consumer goods to keep the home front happy. This did not really change until Speer reorganized production by 1944 to a near total war footing. Also sabotage in the occupied areas played a major role in keeping some of these plants from their full military potential. Still, a fine read, and very interesting and compelling arguments.
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Summary: Analytical history at its best...
Review: Other reviewers have commented on Overy's thesis, so no need to repeat. I wanted to note the command of analytical history, as opposed to descriptive history, which is the heart of this extremely well written book. The Allies, held together by self-interest and the wish to destroy Hitlerism, won for a variety of reasons (production capacity, organizational skill, technical inventiveness), and Overy emphasizes the motivational and moral cause that called each country's peoples together. These and other conclusions stem from Overy's command of the analytical tools of the historian. Well done!
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Summary: Masterfully detailed and written
Review: Overy masterfully attacks a subject made all the more elusive by its apparent obviousness; how it was that the great coalition of forces fighting fascism during the Second World War, managed to win a none-too-certain victory. Overy analyses critical components of the Allied victory in the war, and does so in a prose both dramatic, and filled with historical detail. He covers key campaigns on the sea, land, and air -in a detail that is surprising given the breadth of subject matter; and follows his blow-by-blow account of the war by analyses of the economies and technological development of the powers at war; and finally by the leadership of the warring countries, and the moral codes that guided them. This is an excellent book through and through -from the anecdotes and battle strategies discussed in the planning and execution of Midway and Stalingrad, to the remarkable treatise included on the moral world-view of the Nazi hierarchy, and how it affected the moral! e of the German soldier. Any history enthusiast, let alone any student of this great and terrible war, should have this book in his or her personal collection. It is truly one of those indispensable resources that anyone from layman to general can learn from.
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Summary: Very informative
Review: Overy takes a long look at some of the less "flashy" issues of the Second World War and shows that it takes more than bold generals and heroic soldiers to win a war. This book opened my eyes to a new view of the war, regrettably one which I was quick to overlook in the past. I recommend this book to anyone with more than a passing interest in the history of WWII. It may be a bit too detailed for the casual reader.
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Summary: History in real depth - extraordinary.
Review: Richard Overy is professor of modern history at King's College, London. He has appeared numerous times on British television as an expert in his field. No wonder 'Why the Allies Won' is such a masterpiece of analytical history, probably answering once and for all one of the great questions of the last century. With Germany and Japan (helped by Mussolini's Italy) rampaging through Europe and the Pacific, and poised to dominate most of the world, with USA standing indecisively on the sidelines, with Stalin believing in the validity of Hitler's peace treaty, with France beaten after just six weeks, and with only Britain fighting a rearguard action, how in heavens name did the situation get turned around? Overy obviously needs to point to certain pivotal battles/battlegrounds (Midway, Stalingrad, Kursk, the Atlantic, and Normandy) but he centers also on the other factors that changed history. The leadership, the morale of the troops on both sides, the determination of the British, the fighting spirit of the Russians. He points out the inefficiencies and bureaucracy of the German industrial machine, the incredible efficiency of American industry, which geared up so rapidly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He points out that, whilst the bombing of German cities has been questioned by other historians and is now commonly regarded as having served a questionable purpose and was of doubtful morality, that it was of critical strategic importance, having drawn off the Luftwaffe from the Eastern Front, where the European war was fundamentally decided. Overy's analysis of the battle for control of the Atlantic displays particular insight. Though many historians point to the Allies' radar and code-breaking abilities as being the key, Overy delves deeper and shows how basic good planning and good training was the essential added element that eventually beat the German U-boats. Despite what revisionist history tells us, there was never any certainty that the Allies would win the war. Quite the opposite. Even Churchill and Roosevelt had to come to terms with the fact that, at some point, they might have to make a conditional peace with Germany and Japan. Overy recounts how the Allies managed to regain superiority only after a series of extremely decisive military campaigns. He also points to the many other factors of the war that are too often left unsaid or not understood. For a REAL insight into five years that changed the world, you should not miss this extraordinary book.
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Summary: Outstanding WWII Book!
Review: Since there is already a ton of reviews, I will just add that this is, perhaps, my favorite WWII book. Overy picks several keys to the Allied victory and presents fascinating details.
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