The Origins of the Second World War: An International Perspective

Description

Many major world events have occurred since the last key anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War, and these events have had a dramatic impact on the international stage: 9/11, the Iraq War, climate change and the world economic crisis. This is an opportune moment to bring together a group of major international experts who will offer a series of new interpretations of the key aspects of the origins of the Second World War. Each chapter is based on original archival research and written by scholars who are all leading experts in their fields. This is a truly international collection of articles, with wide breadth and scope, which includes contributions from historians, and also political scientists, gender theorists, and international relations experts. This is an important contribution to scholarly debate on one of the most important events of the 20th century and a subject of major interest to the general reader, historians, students and researchers, policy makers and conflict prevention experts.

Frank McDonough is a recognised authority on Anglo-German relations and is Professor of International History at Liverpool John Moores University. A prolific writer, his books include Neville Chamberlain, Appeasement and the British Road to War (1998); The Holocaust (2008); and Sophie Scholl: Heroine of the German Resistance (2009)

Here is modern history-writing at its very best. Frank McDonough has brought together no fewer than 30 other leading scholars to examine that most vital of historical moments - the outbreak of the Second World War - from every conceivable international aspect. Ground-breaking, fascinating, occasionally deeply revisionist and always highly readable; this sets the mark for all collaborative history from now on -- Andrew Roberts, author of The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War This is the perfect companion for the scholar and student of the origins of the Second World War. Accessible and extraordinarily comprehensive, it raises a raft of new scholarly questions, while its breadth and the standing of its contributors will without doubt make it a standard work -- Glenda Sluga, Professor of International History, University of Sydney, Australia. An international history of the origins of the Second World War at its best...Internationalizing the study of history, obviously an important objective, is easier said than carried out, but this volume shows that the ideal can become a reality when a leading scholar brings together a number of scholars from various countries who share his vision and cooperate with him in producing an insightful new volume -- Akira Iriye, Charles Warren Research Professor of American History, Harvard University, US Frank McDonough has managed a tour de force with this splendid collection on the origins of the Second World War. The gathering together in one volume of twenty-eight distinguished historians from half a dozen countries is itself a remarkable achievement. The exhaustively researched, lucid essays addressing the long-term causes of the war from a wide variety of perspectives represent a model of what international history should be. The book is the most comprehensive treatment of this complicated historical topic and will be of interest not only to scholarly specialists but to the reading public as well -- William R. Keylor, Professor of International Relations and History, Boston University, US Professor Frank McDonough has edited an important book of essays by no fewer than 30 distinguished historians... which sheds fresh light on that fascinating and febrile period. -- The Sunday Telegraph: One of the historian Andrew Roberts' selections for his 'books of the year' 'This collection of 29 short essays will be useful to any reader interested in the origins of WWII...The most valuable chapters for scholars will probably be those based largely on unpublished primary sources...Various other essays incorporate original research into a general discussion of a topic.'-Choice Magazine 'This collection of 29 short essays will be useful to any reader interested in the origins of WWII...The most valuable chapters for scholars will probably be those based largely on unpublished primary sources...Various other essays incorporate original research into a general discussion of a topic.'-Choice Magazine 'This collection of 29 short essays will be useful to any reader interested in the origins of WWII...The most valuable chapters for scholars will probably be those based largely on unpublished primary sources...Various other essays incorporate original research into a general discussion of a topic.'-Choice Magazine