The War in the West: Volume 1 cover art

The War in the West: Volume 1

A New History: Germany Ascendant 1939-1941

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The War in the West: Volume 1

By: James Holland
Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
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About this listen

Are you ready for the truth about World War Two?

In the first of an extraordinary three-volume account of the war on land, in the air and at sea, James Holland not only reveals the truth behind the familiar legends of the Second World War but he also unveils those lesser known events which were to have the greatest significance.

The first book to consider the economic, political and social as well as the military aspects of World War Two, this is a unique retelling of a monumental event in all its terrible and majestic glory.

Holland has spent over 12 years unearthing new research, visiting archives, battlefields and the very people who fought and lived through the conflict. He has, in his own accessible and inimitable style, written an account to redefine our understanding of the war. It is unlike anything else on the subject.

©2015 James Holland (P)2015 Random House AudioBooks (UK) 20th Century Europe Military Modern World Western Europe War Imperialism Submarine Middle Ages Air Force Royalty Africa Interwar Period
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This is a well presented and argued book. The author certainly questions the accepted reasons for German success early in WW2 Well worth a read!

Well presented and argued

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A thoroughly researched and engaging narrative history of this tumultuous first phase of WW2 in the west. Heartily recommend.

Riveting History Told Brilliantly

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James Holland is about as cliche a British historian as you can get, and not in a good way. Over focus on Britain, an inability to show or discuss much critical with their performance and an air of jingoism that allows the author to add anecdotes about Germans being mutilated and killed but not that of the plucky British. Holland is decades behind compared to how nuanced newer historians have become. This is a book that could have easily been written and published in Britain in the 60/70’s.

At times Holland makes a lot of large judgements based on empty statistics, far too much hindsight, an inability to see the Allied war effort as anything other than a great heroic push and a usage of too much personal accounts and a weird over focus on the Allied industry (most likely due to its clear superiority to the Axis).

Holland doesn’t break any new ground here. His focus on economy and logistics just a way for him to focus on Allied superiority even in the darkest days. This book is named as being about Germany’s ascendency, but you wouldn’t have guessed that title from the content of the book. The real title should have been ‘How the Allies rose to power’.

The book is not terrible, but I’m left frustrated greatly with it. Holland doesn’t have the prowess of a Kershaw nor the writing ability of a Hastings. So in the end this book is middling and really left me with no desire to continue the series.

With the book being not even 10 years old I would hope modern historians had moved on from the old view of the heroic allied struggle against the inferior fascist enemy. A humanistic view of histories greatest tragedy is here instead written like a play book for an adventure film. There is almost no focus at all on the civilian cost of the war and I feel as if this book was more a praise of Allied abilities than anything else. And ofc by Allied I really mean British. Holland brushes aside almost 50,000 dead in the Blitz as not overly high a number and lists many different casualty figures with an equal coldness that reminds the reader/listener that this history is a forgettable relic with little humanity or relevance. Holland it seems reveres the British stoic character so highly he decided to write the entire book without the slightest touch of humanity or introspection.

Hollands novel is proof that excess jingoism and childish forced narratives still are present issues in the genre of ww2 history.

Honestly I would pass on this one even with my rating being somewhat decent. The best part of this audiobook is the performance of the narrator, which is probably why I even bothered to finish the book in the first place.

There are so many more intelligent and nuanced views of the war. Unless you have a special love for reading about the Painfully dull minutiae of Allied industry and command I would suggest giving it a miss.

Childlike British focus mars otherwise quality content

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