World War II (1939-1945) was the costliest conflict in history; in human life alone, over 60 million died (3% of the world's population at the time). It was effectively a continuation of World War I (1914-1918), whose peace settlement was poorly constructed, eventually leading to economic depression and (as a result) the rise of totalitarian regimes like Hitler's Nazi Germany. Increasingly defiant of several Versailles mandates, Hitler occupied parts of Czechoslovakia and annexed Austria. When others did nothing, he invaded Poland in 1939, which finally triggered a response from the British and started World War II. Japan and Italy entered with Germany to form the Axis powers, and (eventually) America joined the UK, Russia, and others to form the Allies. The lines were drawn; the conflict raged across the globe, and much was lost in the ensuing carnage. The story of it all is told in World War II by DK Publishing.
Like its WWI counterpart (reviewed here), DK's World War II is a visual history. This volume is heavily illustrated with pictures, maps, and other visuals that help convey the details, magnitude, and horror of the conflict. While informative, comprehensive, and less choppy/fragmented than its predecessor, World War II suffers from uncompelling delivery, unexpectedly frequent spelling errors, and more focus on military maneuvers than what's needed (or wanted) in an overview. The resulting read is rather dry at times, and parts can be skimmed without losing the overall point. Perhaps I'm too harsh; there is a lot of good here, but it could be better.
Rating: B+
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