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Review Of Willmott, H.P., The Great Crusade: A New Complete History Of The Second World War, James V. Koch Jan 2010

Review Of Willmott, H.P., The Great Crusade: A New Complete History Of The Second World War, James V. Koch

Economics Faculty Publications

(First Paragraph) The first edition of The Great Crusade (1989) was a fine, comprehensive, single-volume history of World War II. The revised edition is even better, though readers should be aware that this is a military history of the war that usually focuses on decision-making and activities at the operational level and above. The author sometimes speaks of individual fighting divisions, but almost never about individual soldiers. This work is thus not the place for the reader to discover the tales and yarns of individual soldiers. Those who hope to grasp what it was like to be a Marine storming …


Review Of Stansky, Peter, The First Day Of The Blitz: September 7, 1940., James V. Koch Oct 2009

Review Of Stansky, Peter, The First Day Of The Blitz: September 7, 1940., James V. Koch

Economics Faculty Publications

(First Paragraph) Was fall 1940 truly Britain's "finest hour," as Winston Churchill memorably suggested? More particularly, are time-honored stories of stiff-lipped Londoners refusing to buckle under the onslaught of the Luftwaffe on the first day of the Blitz (September 7, 1940) myth or reality? These are the questions Peter Stansky addresses in this well-written, occasionally almost sentimental, essay. He concludes ultimately that the popular version of Blitz history substantially reflects reality, but nevertheless contains many elements of heroic, comforting, and somewhat off-target mythology.


Review Of Sebag-Montefiore, Hugh, Dunkirk: Fight To The Last Man, James V. Koch May 2009

Review Of Sebag-Montefiore, Hugh, Dunkirk: Fight To The Last Man, James V. Koch

Economics Faculty Publications

(First Paragraph) Hugh Sebag-Montefiore correctly notes that multitudes of books already have been written about the evacuation of the British and French troops from Dunkirk in May and June 1940. He argues, however, that these accounts generally have neglected the crucial role of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in making this escape possible. He agrees that great credit must go to Adm. Bertram Ramsay, the Royal Navy, and almost one thousand small boat owners who actually moved the beleaguered troops from France to England. Nevertheless, he asserts, without the BEF, there would have been no evacuation, or at least a …