A War to Be Won: Fighting the Second World War

Rating:
Summary: What does it take to win a war?
Review: 'In the course of the twentieth century, no war looms as profoundly transformative or as destructive as World War II. Its global scope and human toll reveal the true face of modern, industrialized warfare.'

Thus begins the volume 'A War to Be Won: Fighting the Second World War' by Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett. Murray, a fellow at the Institute for Defense Analysis, and Millett, professor of Military History at Ohio State University, has collaborated to produce a volume that looks at the World War II in almost exclusively military terms, with detailed (if not always precisely accurate) analysis of battlefield plans and progresses, logistical situations and problems, and (to a lesser extent) political and economic considerations behind the military decisions. Murray and Millett are very direct in this focus:

'In this book, we have concentrated on the conduct of operations by the military organizations that waged the war. We have not ignored the strategic and political decisions that drove the war, but what interests us most are the issues of military effectiveness.'

Perhaps more true than anywhere else, on the battlefield those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, and, in fact, are most likely doomed to failure because the enemy most likely has consulted history.

This book looks at the origins of the war (chapter 1 and chapter 7), follows the military progress through the European, African, Atlantic, and Asia-Pacific theatres of warfare, and concludes with two broader chapters, one entitled 'Peoples at War', which examines civilian efforts toward the war in areas of industry, labor, civil defence, and basic food-production; and a second entitled 'The Aftermath of War', which looks very briefly at issues of resettlement, reparations, war crimes, and the political state of affairs after the war.

The opening chapters are very telling regarding preparedness in the face of a potential adversary -- the state of British and French forces at the outset of the war, even in the face of an only-somewhat rearmed Germany made their position difficult, and indeed they were thoroughly routed in short order. However, the fault was not merely technical or logistical, but also involved poor planning and preparation on the part of officials who could or would not grow beyond then-traditional methods of warfare, most having derived from the experience of World War I.

Despite its attention to all theatres of war, this remains a very Euro-centric book. The true starting date of World War II in increasingly under debate -- not all scholars subscribe to the September 1939 invasion of Poland as the beginning of the war, but rather the beginning of the European theatre of events. Japanese forces had been at work in Asia prior to this -- indeed, one could say that the first and last shots of World War II were fired in the Manchurian plains.

This is a relatively minor point, however, and one that will most likely not occur to most Western readers who are accustomed to the portrayal of World War II in this manner.

The chapter on the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific war addresses, but not in detail, the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan; more detail in the proposed invasion planning of Japan would have been helping here -- the recent book 'Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire' by Richard Frank does an excellent job at showing the difficulties that faced the Americans and other Allied forces as they contemplated a full-scale invasion of Japan, including the misperceptions of Japanese strength on the island that would have made the battle the most costly in human terms in all of history.

This book, however, is a good survey of the military aspects of World War II, and fills in many gaps for those of us who have concentrated primarily on the political issues and only peripherally on the military engagements.

Rating:
Summary: Best Summary Military History
Review: As a one volumn summary of the fighting of WWII, this book has no equals, far surpassing John Keegan's popular history of the war. The discriptions of the campaigns and battles are clear and the evaluations and conclusions are well reasoned although occasionally controversial. The authors, correctly in my opinion, conclude that Bradley was hardly a "GI's general" as he is usually discribed. Most important, they suggest that Montgomery may have intentially failed to clear the approaches to Antwerp so that there would be only enough fuel for his army to advance. If true, he should have been shot for treason.

One reader compared this book favorably to A World at Arms. This I think is not quite correct. The latter book is a political/economic analysis, and it has no peer. I expect it will be in print, in 2100 C.E. It is not a military history and not comparable to this book. Buy both!

Rating:
Summary: A little too in depth
Review: I don't have the historical background that some others who have written reviews do, but I am fairly well versed in WWII history and at times this book seemed to worry too much about whose unit did what. I understand the major players both politically and militarily and appreciate the book identifying who was in command of certain armies and whatnot, but it gets a little bogged down when the author says it was the 82nd regiment of the third army in wherever. Again, I know that is important to military buffs, but to the average reader it makes it hard to follow. Especially when multiple units from both sides are being listed and then it says how they moved across what terrain and whatnot. The author could have made it a little easier to understand with a few fewer details and I think the gist of the story would have been stronger and easier to understand.

One thing I did like about the book was the way in which it covered the war as two separate theaters. I also liked the fact that it covered the aspects of the war in sections. It would have been WAY too difficult to follow if naval campaigns were tied in with air campaigns and land campaigns just for the sake of chronological awareness.

The big question I had the whole way through by the way was, who did a good job strategically during this war. It seemed like every move made could have been better according to the author. The bombing campaign crippled Germany at the cost of a lot of personnel and equipment true, but it did really effect the outcome. And, the battle for the Phillipines was an Allied victory, but in this book it was portrayed as almost a victory that wasn't worth the cost. To me, the authors editorialized things a bit much.

It did help to describe some of the generals and major military leaders, although I noticed Patton got a better review than I had read before. And, Omar Bradley wasn't as well thought of as I read in other books. Also Halsey wasn't as revered. I knew McArthur would get slammed though and probably rightfully so although a career Army guy might say otherwise.

This book was good, but if you are worried about a less detailed, more political view of WWII there are probably better choices.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Overview of the War
Review: Murray and Millet come at this overview from an American viewpoint. While they seem to make efforts to maintain an unbiased telling of the story, it becomes obvious that they have definite opinions. This is not a bad thing, just worth keeping in mind while reading. The overview maintains a reasonable chronology of events while hopping back and forth between the Western, Russian and Pacific theaters.

One thing that sets this discussion of the war somewhat above the others I have read is the authors' analysis of many of the major characters both military and political in all of the theaters. They do not limit themselves to a mere telling of the list of events; they delve into the motivations of the various players. Definitely an intersting read. P-)

Rating:
Summary: The Allies Really Did Have to Win World War II
Review: The collection of countries that later formed the charter members of the United Nations enjoyed overwhelming force against Germany, Italy, and Japan, so the "Axis" never had a chance to win their war of global aggression, right? Wrong, according to Williamson Murray and Allan Millett in "A War to Be Won."

The long odds against an Axis victory didn't mean that it couldn't happen. For about a year (June 1940-June 1941), Germany and Japan seemed unstoppable. The fact that they were eventually halted required considerable sacrifices of "blood, sweat, toil, and tears," to use Winston Churchill's memorable phrase. And as related in Chapter 14 "The Killing Time," the bulk of the killing took place after the Axis had been theoretically defeated at Midway, El Alamein, Stalingrad, and elsewhere. In the end, the Allies won World War II because they adequately defined and met their operational objectives. The Axis, after initial success, did not. Murray and Millet do a great job of spelling out how it all happened.

This book as been criticized elsewhere as being "Eurocentric" but the authors do a better job than most of bringing balance to their view of the war. For instance, six out of twenty chapters (30%) are devoted to the Pacific War. They spend another four chapters (two at the beginning, two at the end), analyzing the causes and consequences of the war. The remainder of the book is an even-handed discussion of the fighting in the Europen Theater of Operations (ETO). Although these campaigns are included, there is no celebration of American victories in North Africa, Italy, and Normandy, only a discussion of grim necessity.

One word of disclosure: I can be considered a fan of Dr. Murray's, having taken and "aced" his military history course at Yale in the fall of 1976. I have, however, never met Professor Millett, and am judging his contribution as a stranger.

Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING, must read for WW II Grand Strategy
Review: This book is not for the casual WW II reader. It is densly written and immediatly delves into the details. Murray is one of my favorite Second World War strategy authors. The book basically delves into why the Axis powers failed to win the war. The thesis of this book is fascinating and I agree with it. It essentially puts forth why the political mechanisms behind the Axis powers prevented them from ever matching the Allies's Grand Strategy. Because the Axis powers economies and military strategy became so politicized, it became impossible for them to fight a practical war. The book is an entire history (operational ) of the Second World War. The book delves into the details about the conduct of the war and draws some fascinating conclusions. Excellent book, very heavy reading though.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliance in One Volume
Review: This is one brilliantly written book. It is difficult to think of World War II without using words like mammoth, horrific, casualties, convoluted, sacrifice and bravery ... to describe the events that shook the world to its core. But Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett's book, "A War to Be Won: Fighting the Second World War" comes as close to describing the events that will dominate our memory for generations to come.

"A War to Be Won" is a bit too complex for the beginner, but for the more studious and scholarly reader of World War II literature, this book is a treasure trove of knowledge. World War II was the greatest and most complex undertaking in all of human history-not to mention devastating destruction. Yet the authors approach their arduous task like puzzle masters dividing the pieces of that world conflict into sea, air, and ground campaigns. They also cover the political and military strategies utilized by both Allies and Axis powers. Their formula for dividing the war into sections allows the reader to better grasp the intricate concepts of World War II.

The authors continuously analyze not only the campaigns, but the military and political leaders behind the decision making process illustrating their grand victories and poignant defeats that affected multitudes of troops and civilians on both sides of the conflict. Portraits of the military leaders are an integral part of the book, wherein their strategies and tactics are described and analyzed in detail for their effectiveness and ineffectiveness.

"A War to Be Won" was itself a massive undertaking by Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett, but the years spent on research and documentation were well worth the wait. The authors put together a grand study of the largest military conflict of all time and they accomplished this in one volume. This is one of those rare books that belong on the shelves of every World War II reader or historian.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliance in One Volume
Review: This is one brilliantly written book. It is difficult to think of World War II without using words like mammoth, horrific, casualties, convoluted, sacrifice and bravery ... to describe the events that shook the world to its core. But Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett's book, "A War to Be Won: Fighting the Second World War" comes as close to describing the events that will dominate our memory for generations to come.

"A War to Be Won" is a bit too complex for the beginner, but for the more studious and scholarly reader of World War II literature, this book is a treasure trove of knowledge. World War II was the greatest and most complex undertaking in all of human history-not to mention devastating destruction. Yet the authors approach their arduous task like puzzle masters dividing the pieces of that world conflict into sea, air, and ground campaigns. They also cover the political and military strategies utilized by both Allies and Axis powers. Their formula for dividing the war into sections allows the reader to better grasp the intricate concepts of World War II.

The authors continuously analyze not only the campaigns, but the military and political leaders behind the decision making process illustrating their grand victories and poignant defeats that affected multitudes of troops and civilians on both sides of the conflict. Portraits of the military leaders are an integral part of the book, wherein their strategies and tactics are described and analyzed in detail for their effectiveness and ineffectiveness.

"A War to Be Won" was itself a massive undertaking by Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett, but the years spent on research and documentation were well worth the wait. The authors put together a grand study of the largest military conflict of all time and they accomplished this in one volume. This is one of those rare books that belong on the shelves of every World War II reader or historian.

Rating:
Summary: A War to be Won
Review: This is the best single book on World War II. I have shelves of WW II books in my libraries in Montana and Ohio, and I served in WW II for three years in the ETO -- this volume is indispensable.
It provides the big picture of the overall war and offers insights into strategies and leadership that are most revealing. I have communicated with Millett and commended him on his handling of the "blunder at Antwerp" and his assessment of Montgomery's role in this huge mistake. Very readable. Well documented. It is essential for anyone obsessed with WW II. I referred to this book frequently in my writing of "We Made the Headlines Possible."

Rating:
Summary: Balanced, better military angle
Review: This puts the obese and British-biased Penguin History on my shelf to gather dust.

Succinct, fair and filled with more military analysis and less of the pet theories about politicians and world leaders you find in others.

A very good one volume place to start.