'Outstanding... Overy has written a masterpiece of analytical history, posing and answering one of the great questions of the century.' - Niall Ferguson, Sunday Times
Richard Overy is Professor in History at the University of Exeter. He is the author of books on the Second World War, the European dictatorships and the history of air power. His latest titles include The Dictators- Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia (2004) and The Morbid Age- Britain Between the Wars (2009). He is a fellow of the British Academy and winner of the Wolfson History Prize in 2005.
"A compelling analysis... skilful and chilling" -- Ross Davies Economist "A much needed book... He deserves the attention of a wide audience" -- Donald Cameron Independent "Richard Overy is writing at the height of his powers... The result is often startling, never less than fascinating" -- Adam Sisman Observer "A thought provoking reappraisal of the war - deeply researched, complex and yet beautifully lucid" -- Correlli Barnett Times Literary Supplement
"A compelling analysis... skilful and chilling" -- Ross Davies Economist "A much needed book... He deserves the attention of a wide audience" -- Donald Cameron Independent "Richard Overy is writing at the height of his powers... The result is often startling, never less than fascinating" -- Adam Sisman Observer "A thought provoking reappraisal of the war - deeply researched, complex and yet beautifully lucid" -- Correlli Barnett Times Literary Supplement
In The Road to War (1990), Overy plumbed the origins of WWII. Here, he examines the reasons for the war's outcome, challenging two pieces of conventional wisdom: that the Axis overextended itself by taking on the U.S., Britain and the Soviet Union, and that the Allied victory was due to material strength only. Instead, Overy contends that the Allies' triumph depended on the exponential improvement of an initially inferior military capacity, as well as on moral fiber. The Allies, he argues convincingly, turned economic potential into fighting power, exploiting modernity by integrating technology and logistics into a comprehensive war effort that was sustained by moral force. Combining telling detail and wide scope, the author shows that, ultimately, the governments and peoples of the Allied Grand Coalition triumphed because they acted on the understanding that WWII was a life-and-death struggle for fundamental values. Photos; maps. History Book Club main selection; BOMC selection. (Apr.)
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