For seven decades, our understanding of World War II has been shaped by
a standard narrative built on conventional wisdom, propaganda, the
dramatic but narrow experiences of soldiers on the ground, and an early
generation of historians. For his new history, James Holland has spent
over 12 years unearthing new research, recording original testimony, and
visiting battlefields and archives that have never before been so
accessible.
In The Rise of Germany, the first of a major new three-part history of
World War II in the West, he weaves together the experiences of dozens
of individuals, from civilians and infantrymen to line officers,
military strategists, diplomats, and heads of state, as well as war
strategy, tactics, and the economic, political, and social aspects of
the war to create a captivating book that redefines and enhances our
understanding of one of the most significant conflicts in history.
Beginning with the lead-up to the outbreak of war in 1939 and ending in
1941 on the eve of Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of Russia,
The Rise of Germany is a masterful history of the war on land, in the
air, and at sea, destined to generate significant scholarly debate and
reader interest.