The History Buff's Guide to World War II: Top Ten Rankings of the Best, Worst, Largest, and Most Lethal People and Events of World War II PDF
Preview The History Buff's Guide to World War II: Top Ten Rankings of the Best, Worst, Largest, and Most Lethal People and Events of World War II
Copyright © 2012, 2005 by Thomas R. Flagel Cover and internal design © 2012 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover design by The Book Designers Cover photo © Paul MacKenzie/Shutterstock.com Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. --From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. Sourcebooks, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor in this book. Published by Cumberland House, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410 (630) 961-3900 Fax: (630) 961-2168 www.sourcebooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Flagel, Thomas R. The history buff’s guide to World War II : top ten rankings of the best, worst, largest, and most lethal people and events of World War II / Thomas R. Flagel. —2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. World War, 1939-1945. 2. World War, 1939-1945— Miscellanea. I. Title. D743.F53 2012 940.53—dc23 2012021088 Printed and bound in the United States of America. VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 For Clarice Mae Doty Flagel 1932–2004 CONTENTS Prologue 1: “The Gathering Storm” Top Ten Wars Before the War Top Ten Attempts at Diplomacy Top Ten Causes of the War 2: Politics Top Ten Forms of Government Top Ten Events in Politics Top Ten Speeches Top Ten Similarities Between Stalin and Hitler 3: Military Life Top Ten Largest Armed Forces Top Ten Weapons Top Ten Items in a Soldier’s Diet Top Ten Causes of Military Deaths Top Ten Most Significant Battles: Europe and North Africa Top Ten Most Significant Battles: Asia and the Pacific 4: Home Front Top Ten Hardships Top Ten Forms of Resistance Top Ten Alternate Names for the War Top Ten Songs 5: In Retrospect Top Ten Firsts Top Ten Best Military Commanders Top Ten Worst Military Commanders Top Ten Military Blunders Top Ten Heroines Top Ten Reasons the Allies Won 6: Pursuing The War Top Ten General Histories Top Ten Films Top Ten Popular Myths and Misconceptions Top Ten Historic Sites Top Ten Ways to Get Involved Epilogue Time Line Notes Bibliography PROLOGUE World War II involved every inhabited continent, killed more than sixty million people, permanently maimed another seventy million, and drove one hundred million from their homes. Never before had such devastation fallen upon the earth. The conflict generated some of the noblest deeds of courage and most demonic acts of cruelty ever committed in recorded history. From the ashes came an enduring question: how was such a horrific event possible? In search of an answer, I interviewed many who had, from various vantage points, seen the conflict firsthand. To better comprehend their viewpoints, I asked them what they called the war. Witnesses generally agreed on a surname of “War” but varied on the prefix—the Pacific, the People’s, the Great, the Good, the Awful, the Second European, the Stupid, the Terrible. Walter Joseph Bryant, an American who experienced the Pacific theater as a nose gunner in a navy reconnaissance bomber, felt he could not give a suitable answer. He simply said, “Each man has his own war.” His profound response eloquently synopsized the war’s general nature and how it came to exist. There was not one war but many. What humankind experienced between 1937 and 1945 was a catastrophic convergence, an abysmal host of wars. By their simultaneous appearance, the conflicts were able to grow beyond any logical limit, overlapping and interbreeding until they appeared to be a singular beast, a proclaimed “world war.” Understandably, this inherent complexity can be muddling if not frustrating. The mountains of available print on the war frequently add to the confusion. Military histories are often drowning in minutiae. Memoirs tend to be steeped in agenda. Biographies give a single portrait but often neglect the landscape. Lost in the names and dates is the big picture. Presented here is a concise, convenient way to make sense of this most intricate era. The format and aim of this book are in keeping with its predecessor, The History Buff’s Guide to the Civil War. Using top-ten lists, the intent is to provide a compelling overview, employing comparison and contrast to give a different and balanced perspective on people, places, and events. Every list begins with background information and criteria for the respective topic. Some are in chronological order to illustrate progression. Others are quantitative or qualitative, placing the more prominent elements of the war in their proper
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