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World War II: A Military and Social History

Written by: Thomas Childers,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Thomas Childers
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Publisher's Summary

Between 1937 and 1945, approximately 55 million people perished in the series of interrelated conflicts known as the Second World War. No continent was left untouched, no ocean unaffected. The war led to the eclipse of Europe and the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as global superpowers; ushered in the atomic age; produced, in the Holocaust, the most horrific crime ever committed in the history of Western civilization, and led to the end of Europe's colonial empires around the world. But though World War II defined an entire epoch in human history, pressing questions remain - about whether Hitler could have been stopped earlier, about Pearl Harbor, about saving more people from the Holocaust, about using the atomic bomb, and even about how close the Allies came to actually losing.

This engaging series of 30 lectures is rich in detail and near-cinematic portraits of leaders and events. It explores not only the origins of the war, including the impact of the Treaty of Versailles, but also how it unfolded on both battlefront and the American home front, with focused looks at key subjects like Nazism and the Holocaust and the philosophy of strategic bombing and its impact on the future nature of warfare.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1998 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1998 The Great Courses

What listeners say about World War II: A Military and Social History

Average Customer Ratings
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good but very Americanized

I really enjoyed this course on WWII. It was very educational and interesting. Professor Childers presents the information in a very clear and engaging way with clearly thematic episodes, and subtle nods to humour.

My only complaint is that this course follows a fairly narrow scope in terms of its perspectives. Occasionally Childers will reference the events and perspectives of other nations, but it is clear which perspective is primary. constant usages of "We" to refer to the American military or government as well as a constant eye on what the Americans are contributing to every stage of the war seems to privilege the American position over those of the other contributors. This in itself is not a major offence, but I would have preferred if the course description was more explicit about the perspective of the lectures.

However, with that said, I still highly recommend this course. It is well presented by a very competent narrator and was overall a very enjoyable and educational listen.

3 people found this helpful

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Great book!

Loved it. One of the best reading for this year. I recommend anyone who is interested in the history for the World war Two. #Audible1

1 person found this helpful

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A thorough high-level view of the war

I was very impressed by the passion that is evident in the professor’s voice. History is best taught by those who are not just knowledgeable, but passionate about the subject matter; and this man certainly delivers.

This lecture series was not quite as detail-oriented as I usually prefer but it is obviously intended to be a high-level view. Also, it’s a bit to heavy on the American perspective, but not in an ignorant, “USA! USA!” kind of way.

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Fascinating listen that covers so much

Great presentation and fascinating to listen too. Helped me make sense of parts of the war that were question marks (what were they doing in North Africa anyway?)

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Excellent overall history

I like Thomas Childers so I thought this would be a good overall WWII history, and it did not disappoint. It’s challenging y you o weave so many stories together but I thought it worked. Glad to have the PDF. I did find quite a bit of duplication with his other lectures, A History of Hitler’s Empire, but I wouldn’t have removed anything from either.

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Too Americentrist

Very much an American perspective. You won't hear much at all about the internal politics of any other country (except to some extent Britain), and the rationale behind their decisions.
You can't really get a sense of what was truly going on without that. It's a world war, after all.

It does cover what you'd expect it to, I think, if only superfically. To be fair, there's a lot to cover.

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Excellent

This is a very revealing history of the War. I’ve read a fair bit about it and still found new revelations that pulled events together. His high-level discussions were very useful: why strategies were employed rather than just the fact that they did. It’s worth noting that this was written in 1995, which does create some retro views in the light of the past 25+ years.

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Very good

Very good overview of WWII, mostly from an American view but still interesting. I would’ve liked to hear more about the social aspect rather than military but would definitely recommend!

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Too American centred

While I enjoyed the narration. The overall focus was too focused on the American perspective. This was disproportionate to their contribution to the war.

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  • Ned
  • 2020-02-10

Should be standard reading in western history

Thomas Childers not only wrote and compiled this course, but narrates it. on both counts I cannot stress how well these have been accomplished. The info within is accurate to my knowledge and extremely wealthy. Cannot reccomended this enough, if there is one book or audiobook you buy about WW2, this should be it.
Absolutely phenomenally written, compiled and narrated. First class.

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  • O. D. S
  • 2015-07-15

Misleading title, but a good course

The course is interesting and well performed. However, the title is misleading. It should read something along the lines of "The role of USA in the second world war". It focuses almost exclusivly on the US and primarely on the Pacific front of the war against Japan.

So if you are looking to understand how the US got involved and how the war was fought by american forces; this is a good course. However, if you want to get a broader understanding of the war besides the american perspective, you have to look elsewhere.

To sum up, it is a good course that focuses on a small part of the second world war. If this is the only course you are going to read about the war, you will miss the big picture. But if you have read a bit of other litterature that explains other parts of the war, this course will work well to understand the role of the US.

108 people found this helpful

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  • John M
  • 2014-01-08

My favorite Great Courses lecture

I have listened to dozens of "courses" from the Teaching Company over the years and this is one of the best. It was done a while ago but it still very worthwhile. What a treat to be able to listen to it via Audible. Professor Childers is an excellent lecturer and great storyteller who has an infectious enthusiasm for his subject. It is titled "a Military and Social History" but know if that it is about 80% military and 20% social. I wish there would have been more social or political context but I wouldn't have traded any of the military side - they should have just added additional lectures and I would have been quite happy.

Prof. Childers does a remarkable job telling the story of this literally global catastrophe that is very easy to follow. It is hard to imagine a traditional book brought to audio that could accomplish the same feat.

This was my first teaching company lecture series I ever listened to (over 10 years ago) and at that time I had only a cursory understanding of WWII. In the intervening years I have been an enthusiastic student of all things WWII and have read at least 15 books on various aspects of the conflict and visited numerous sites/monuments. So I can honestly say the lecture will be equally enjoyable whether you are new to the subject or you are familiar with it. Prepare for time well spent.

26 people found this helpful

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  • Alan
  • 2013-11-11

Pretty good loecture series despite its faults

This is the first lecture series from the Great Courses that I have listened to. In the past I have totally enjoyed the Modern Scholar catalog. I have listened to quite a few of Professor Thomas Madden's work and have come to totally enjoy his courses.

First off let me say that Professor Childers does an excellent job presenting this lecture series to us. He speaks clearly and distinctly. His knowledge of WW2 is extensive and he feels comfortable talking to us.

Despite this, this series does have its flaws.

First off, this is a lecture about WW2 and not about Nazi Germany. As such, hardly any mention is made about the years 1919 - 1939. It is as if this period holds no importance. Many of the top Nazis aren't even mentioned. The Battle Of Dunkirk is discussed and we are only 40 minutes into a 15 hour lecture. This IMO opinion is a major flaw. Way too much history is ignored.

I was about to put this series down and move on when we hit the chapter of The Battle of Tarawa ( November 1943 Pacific Theater ) when all of a sudden, the lecture series comes alive with a BANG !! This is by far one of the best lectures in this course. In
fact, most of the Pacific campaign is vividly presented. It is from this point that the series takes off.

The discussion about the final bomber raid over Germany on April 21, 1945 is gut wrenching. Bravo Professor for including this.

Another defect of this presentation is the canned applause and chamber music that signals the start of another lecture. It got to be totally annoying.

This book is worth the credit and the time to listen to it and is mildly recommended. Personally I came away from this series wishing more time had been spent on the early years














16 people found this helpful

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  • Christina
  • 2015-04-27

Gripping. Simply Gripping

I've listened to several of The Great Courses offerings, and by far my favorites are those on history. Done well, and most of them are, it's a lot like listening to someone read you an epic novel. In this case, it's the story of the single most important event in human history - WWII. Childers delivers the scenes and the names we know, but also fills out with lesser known facts and weaves them into a narrative that covers both theaters, European and Pacific. That he does so in a rather matter-of-fact voice only serves to underscore the drama.

There are quotes from the names you know, and snatches of personal letters from people you've never heard of. You get the background information, the cultural factors that lead into the start of the war. You get all the numbers and dates that so bored you back in high school, but in a context that makes them anything but boring. You learn of the Allied triumps and the heartbreaks. You learn that some of the most pivotal moments were combinations of mistakes on both sides, and plain luck, both good and bad. You'll hear about the Miracle of Midway, the heroic bloody battles fought in Russia, the incredible feat of the Army Rangers in climbing Pointe du Hoc under enemy fire, the Bataan death march, and more.

And in the end, you'll know why it was The Greatest Generation.

14 people found this helpful

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  • Theresa
  • 2015-01-01

Excellent review of WWII

What made the experience of listening to World War II: A Military and Social History the most enjoyable?

I did not know much about the details of WWII before listening to these lectures. I now feel that I have a great understanding of all of the theaters of the war and how they were related.

What was one of the most memorable moments of World War II: A Military and Social History?

He had a good balance of the big picture and then would present personal details of how the war affected different individuals.

What about Professor Thomas Childers’s performance did you like?

He was an excellent lecturer. The content, the pace and his voice made it very enjoyable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Usually I cannot just sit down and listen to a book on tape but with this one I was drawn in, it was like a novel unfolding and I wanted to see how everything fit together. I spent many hours at a time listening.

Any additional comments?

I have enjoyed many of the Great Courses, but this was by far my favorite.

12 people found this helpful

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  • Anthony Tate.
  • 2015-07-20

The most colorful WWII audible narration ever!

Most of the literature out there on WWII is very hard to follow if you do not have a background in history or are familiar with the 40's. This is one of the reasons it was hard for me to ever finish a WWII book reading attempt. However with Prof. Childers the whole WWII becomes a really entertaining journey to WWII with an easy to understand narration that describes history in detail and colorful explations. Prof. Childers narration is so vivid and entertaining that it gets you from the first minute. The book is structured in a comprehensible manner going over the main events in WWII and their impact in society. This has been one of the most enjoyable listening of The Great Courses so far, not only for it's entertaining value but all the important events in history narrated here that everyone in Europe, America and Asia should know about.

7 people found this helpful

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  • Matt
  • 2015-06-07

Extraordinary

This account of the causes and conditions of humans struggling with one another is a sobering look into our own hearts

3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • SAMA
  • 2013-12-03

An Academic Look at Total War

This great course is truly worth going through if you want to understand the details, the reasons and effects of World War II on all fronts, linking it to its predecessor and focusing chronologically on the events of the war.

3 people found this helpful

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  • Patrick
  • 2017-01-09

Unbelievably captivating.

By far, the best audio "book" I have listened too. Learned a tremendous amount about the war and the strategies, successes, and failures. I recommend to anyone interested in history, war, or massive global events. It focuses more on a Western view, but still fairly unbiased and neutral.

2 people found this helpful

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  • Eddie Song
  • 2022-10-27

Beautifully delivered, incredibly presented

You cans hear the passion, scholarly knowledge, and earnestness of the lecturer. Riveting details about all aspects of world war 2. Highly recommended and I would argue better than an audiobook because it is a recorded, sometimes ad libbed conversational lecture. Wish I paid attention this closely during college!

1 person found this helpful