Highly regarded for its concise clarification of the complexities of World War II, the book illuminates the origins, course, and long-range effects of the war and provides a balanced account that analyzes both the European and Pacific theaters of operations and the connections between them. The Fifth Edition incorporates new material from the latest scholarship, offering modified conclusions on key topics and expanding coverage throughout. The author examines the origins of World War II, the legacy of World War I, the rise of the dictators, the road to war, Germany's march of conquest, globalization of the war, the question of the second front and the invasion of North America, war in the Atlantic, the allied bombing offensive, the home fronts, and the triumph of the Allies. For World War II courses.