The West Point History of World War II, Vol. 1 straddles the line between a beautiful coffee table or display book and a history text. It is successful on both counts though I think its hardback version makes a better coffee table book while an interactive electronic version would make an excellent textbook.

The graphics, photographs and maps are phenomenal and make this an excellent addition to even a WWII buff's library. Many pieces were developed for this volume or not previously published from the Academy's archives. Each section of the text is written by a historian who specializes in that area and incorporates the latest scholarship. This is not meant to be an in depth military history presented in a vacuum but rather the story of the war from its seeds in the Treaty of Versailles with attention to all of the aspects of the war from strategy on the battlefield to work on the home front.

I want to clarify one point about the hardback's use as a textbook. As a former educator I would have hesitated to assign this book in a WWII survey course because of its physical size, not because the text is unworthy. The book is roughly the size of a sheet of paper, 8.5"x11". While not necessarily prohibitively large size is a factor to consider. That said, if I found this to be the best text for the course, I would not hesitate to assign it.

I would recommend this to anyone from a history buff to someone wanting a better understanding of the lead-in to the war and the first conflicts. The writing is very accessible without losing its rigor, with plenty of endnotes to supplement further research.

Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads. ( )