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World War II: A Military and Social History
- Narrated by: Thomas Childers
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
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World War II: A Military and Social History
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Summary
Between 1937 and 1945, approximately 55 million people perished in the series of interrelated conflicts known as the Second World War. No continent was left untouched, no ocean unaffected. The war led to the eclipse of Europe and the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as global superpowers; ushered in the atomic age; produced, in the Holocaust, the most horrific crime ever committed in the history of Western civilization, and led to the end of Europe's colonial empires around the world. But though World War II defined an entire epoch in human history, pressing questions remain - about whether Hitler could have been stopped earlier, about Pearl Harbor, about saving more people from the Holocaust, about using the atomic bomb, and even about how close the Allies came to actually losing.
This engaging series of 30 lectures is rich in detail and near-cinematic portraits of leaders and events. It explores not only the origins of the war, including the impact of the Treaty of Versailles, but also how it unfolded on both battlefront and the American home front, with focused looks at key subjects like Nazism and the Holocaust and the philosophy of strategic bombing and its impact on the future nature of warfare.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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What listeners say about World War II: A Military and Social History
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 19-07-20
Brilliant
This was superb - delivery was sometimes hesitant but didn't detract from the compassion which was woven by the narrator throughout all the lectures. He never forgot the human dimension, the heroism but also the stark realities of conflict and its tragedy. There was an emphasis in the latter lectures on America but thiscdid mean I found out a lot more about the war in the Pacific. Overall a superb set of lectures. Thank you
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- M. R. Kemp
- 30-04-21
Excellent broad-brush summary of WW2
This is a series of lectures on WW2 and as such, it takes a very broad-brush view of the war. But it’s interesting and also focuses on other factors than simply the combat. I’ve read fairly widely on WW2, but I still enjoyed the lectures and there were quite a few pints that were of interest/good learning points. Well worth a listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 21-04-21
Exceptional listen
This has to be the greatest ww2 audio recording ever made. The presentation is superb, timely and provides enough thinking time as the story is being told. Every school should recommend this and every adult with any interest in history needs to listen to this. 10/10
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 30-11-21
Sensational.
All of Professor Childer’s Courses are excellent & this one is amongst the best. It’s brilliantly crafted, thorough and in depth. 10/10
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Gill Bray
- 01-08-23
Comprehensive and interesting overview of a huge subject
Very good course which breaks down an incredibly complex subject into digestible sections. Interesting to listen to.
One point. ‘England’ and ‘English’ is used instead of ‘Britain’ and ‘British’. In particular when referring to the loss of English lives during WW2 this must grate with Scots, Welsh and Irish listeners since they were equally represented in the British forces. This is rather surprising from a historian!
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- Andrew Karanja
- 24-02-24
Outstanding Lecture Series
Thomas Chalmers has a nice delivery style. Keeps you engaged throughout the course and I wanted it to go on and on.
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- barry
- 30-07-16
Well explained and well presented
Coming from ' blueprint for Armageddon' and the 1st WW I found this more factual and less personal views and accounts. It's still excellent and gives a great overview of the different stages of the conflict .
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2 people found this helpful
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- Benny
- 10-02-22
Excellent
One of the best series of lectures that the great courses can offer if you don’t listen through your roof rail journey through the Second World War
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- C
- 28-04-16
Fascinating story & engaging to listen to.
It's told as if in a lecture, so really easy to follow. Contains personal stories, small, possibly insignificant anecdotes, but they make the story that much more tangible. Excellent read and made my drives to work something I did not want to end.
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- Andrew Starnes
- 11-05-23
Excellent, slight American perspective
Compared to Anthony beevers book on world war 2, this was much easier to grapple with and learn from. I felt parts were very strongly from just an American side, full lectures about an American mobilisation and only a few seconds on the Russian assault on Berlin. More of an observation than a criticism though as hearing the stories from all sides is possible, but needs more books from more authors. Overall I thought it was excellent.
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