The Second World War

Extract from Preface to The Gathering StormBook I: Milestones to Disaster, 1919 - May 10, 1940I. The Follies of the Victors, 1919-1929II. Peace At Its Zenith, 1922-1931III. Adolf HitlerIV. The Locust Years, 1931-1933V. The Darkening Scene, 1934VI. Air Parity Lost, 1934-1935VII. Challenge and Response, 1935VIII. Sanctions Against Italy, 1935IX. Hitler Strikes, 1936X. The Loaded Pause, 1936-1938XI. Mr Eden At the Foreign Office. His ResignationXII. The Rape of Austria, February 1938XIII. CzechoslovakiaXIV. The Tragedy of MunichXV. Prague, Albania and the Polish GuaranteeXVI. On the VergeXVII. Twilight WarXVIII. The Admiralty TaskXIX. The Front in FranceXX. Scandinavia. FinlandXXI. NorwayXXII. The Fall of the GovernmentBook II: Alone, May 10, 1940 - June 22, 1941I. The National CoalitionII. The Battle of FranceIII. The March to the SeaIV. The Deliverance of DunkirkV. The Rush for the SpoilsVI. Back to FranceVII. Home Defence and the Apparatus of Counter-AttackVIII. The French AgonyIX. Admiral Darlan and the French FleetX. At BayXI. Operation "Sea Lion"XII. The Battle of BritainXIII. "London Can Take It"XIV. Lend-LeaseXV. Desert VictoryXVI. The Widening WarXVII. The Battle of the AtlanticXVIII. Yugoslavia and GreeceXIX. The Desert Flank. Rommel. TobrukXX. CreteXXI. General Wavell's Final EffortXXII. The Soviet NemesisBook III: The Grand Alliance, Sunday, December 7 1941 and OnwardsI. Our Soviet AllyII. My Meeting with RooseveltIII. Persia and the DesertIV. Pearl Harbour!V. A Voyage Amid World WarVI. Anglo-American AccordsVII. The Fall of SingaporeVIII. The U-Boat ParadiseIX. American Naval Victories. The Coral Sea and Midway IslandX. "Second Front Now!"XI. My Second Visit to Washington. TobrukXII. The Vote of CensureXIII. The Eighth Army at BayXIV. My Journey to Cairo. Changes in CommandXV. Moscow: The First MeetingXVI. Moscow: A Relationship EstablishedXVII. Strain and SuspenseXVIII. The Battle of AlameinXIX. The Torch Is LitXX. The Casablanca ConferenceXXI. Turkey, Stalingrad and TunisXXII. Italy the GoalBook IV: Triumph and Tragedy: 1943-1945I. The Capture of Sicily and the Fall of MussoliniII. Synthetic HarboursIII. The Invasion of ItalyIV. Deadlock in the MediterraneanV. Arctic ConvoysVI. Teheran: The OpeningVII. Teheran: Crux and ConclusionsVIII. Carthage and MarrakeshIX. Marshal Tito: The Greek TormentX. The Anzio StrokeXI. "Overlord"XII. Rome and D-DayXIII. Normandy to ParisXIV. Italy and the Riviera LandingXV. The Russian VictoriesXVI. BurmaXVII. The Battle of Leyte GulfXVIII. The Liberation of Western EuropeXIX. October in MoscowXX. Paris and the ArdennesXXI. Christmas at AthensXXII. Malta and Yalta: Plans for World PeaceXXIII. Russia and Poland: The Soviet PromiseXXIV. Crossing the RhineXXV. The Iron CurtainXXVI. The German SurrenderXXVII. The Chasm OpensXXVIII. The Atomic BombEpilogue: 1945-1957Index

The definitive, Nobel Prize–winning history of World War II, universally acknowledged as a magnificent historical reconstruction and an enduring work of literature
 
From Britain's darkest and finest hour to the great alliance and ultimate victory, the Second World War remains the most pivotal event of the twentieth century. Winston Churchill was not only the war's greatest leader, he was the free world's singularly eloquent voice of defiance in the face of Nazi tyranny, and it's that voice that animates this six-volume history. Remarkable both for its sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it begins with The Gathering Storm; moves on to Their Finest Hour, The Grand Alliance, The Hinge of Fate, and Closing the Ring; and concludes with Triumph and Tragedy.