Hailed on its fi rst publication as a thought-provoking, authoritative analysis of the true beginn ings of the Second World War, this revised edition of The Road to War is essential reading for anyone interested in this momentous period of history. Taking each major nation in turn, the book tells the story of their road to war, recapturing the concerns, anxieties and prejudices of the statesmen of the thirties

-------

Acclamato dopo la sua prima pubblicazione come qualcosa che dà da pensare, un' autorevole analisi del problema sul vero inizio della Seconda Guerra mondiale, questa edizione rivisitata del The Road to War è un' essenziale lettura per chi è interessato a questo monumentale periodo della storia. Presa a turno ogni importante Nazione, il libro racconta la storia delle loro strade verso la guerra, catturando i problemi, le preoccupazioni e i pregiudizi degli uomini di Stato degli anni Trenta.

Indice : Intoduction : "Who will die for Danzig?"; I : Germany; II : Great Britain; III : France; IV : Italy; V : The Soviet Union; VI : Japan; VII : The United States; Conclusion : " A War of Great Proportions"; ( )

I purchased this after reading "Interrogations" by the same author - 'Road to War' is even better. Chapter by chapter it deals with the years running up to the outbreak of war from the perspective of the major combatant nations. What makes it stand out, in my opinion, is the fact that it is careful to place the outlook and decisions taken by countries in the context of what was known and believed at the time, i.e. without hindsight.
I found the chapter about Japan particularly interesting as although many people are familiar with European politics of the period, I previously knew very little of pre-war Japanese foreign policy and objectives.
I hope that "The Dictators" is as good. ( )

The Road to War is an attempt to condense the major powers' reasons for going to war into one relatively short book. Covering Japan, Russia, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, it investigates why these nations went to war and examines whether or not these nations had any real options to do so. It is not comprehensive by any means nor does it claim to be. However, anyone interested in a primer on the lead-up to World War II and each nations reasonings for war should look no farther. ( )