No Simple Victory

World War II in Europe, 1939-1945

De: Norman Davies

Narrado por: Simon Vance

If history really belongs to the victor, what happens when there's more than one side declaring victory? That's the conundrum Norman Davies unravels in his groundbreaking book No Simple Victory. Far from being a revisionist history, No Simple Victory instead offers a clear-eyed reappraisal, untangling and setting right the disparate claims made by America, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union in order to get at the startling truth.

In detailing the clash of political philosophies that drove the war's savage engine, Davies also examines how factors as diverse as technology, economics, and morale played dynamic roles in shaping battles, along with the unsung yet vital help of Poland, Greece, and Ukraine (which suffered the highest number of casualties). And while the Allies resorted to bombing enemy civilians to sow terror, the most damning condemnation is saved for the Soviet Union, whose glossed-over war crimes against British soldiers and its own people prove that Communism and Nazism were two sides of the same brutal coin.

No Simple Victory is an unparalleled work that will fascinate not only history buffs but anyone who is interested in discovering the reality behind what Davies refers to as "the frozen perspective of the winners' history".

©2007 Norman Davies (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Enormously readable....This will explode all your ideas about the 'Good War.' " (Details)
"This is a self-consciously contrary book, cutting against the grain of much self-congratulatory Western writing since 1945." (London Sunday Telegraph)
"Davies' topical approach judiciously surveys the military, economic and political aspects of the war....His interpretations rest on solid scholarly work." (Publishers Weekly)

Makes you think

Excellent narration. Well written book, covering much of the social and political aspects of the war, and aftermath.
Covers the war in a different way, and gives real insight into the evils of Stalin and the Soviets that were equal, if not greater than that of the Nazi's

a new, brilliant approach

He does a chronology then does in-depth discussions by theme. A great iconoclast. loved it.

Add this to your collection, thank me later.

Where does No Simple Victory rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

somewhere between jawdropping and Oh...how 'bout that.

What was one of the most memorable moments of No Simple Victory?

When the good guys win.

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

not sure but he is excellent

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

A normal persons brain would explode if you listened to it all at one time. Let me know when you decide your going to likely listen to it a second time.

Any additional comments?

history library must have.

The Best Account of WWII in Europe

Norman Davies previously wrote a textbook in use in entry level university courses about the history of Europe. His persistent theme is that western European history is overemphasized and eastern European history is ignored.

In this book, the scope of the war is presented from the view of the real participants. Davies takes apart the notion that the Germans and Russians were the major participants and chronicles the war from the standpoint of Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries which were the battleground for most of the war. These countries were either brutalized by Stalin before the war or invaded by the Soviet Union in 1939 after the pact between Hitler and Stalin. The losses of these countries are put in a context of losses of other participants. The Soviet style of fighting is described where the KGB formed blocking battalions which shot anyone who retreated, regardless if the soldier was wounded or out of ammunition. After WWII, any repatriated Soviet POW was imprisoned in the Gulag. Stalin fought civil wars during WWII and the aftermath of these wars is now being played out in places like Chechnya.

Davies does not ignore other theatres of operation or other participants in the war. He assess the fighting ability of the various countries, for instance showing that Britain had an awesome navy but a deficient army.

The book is topical, eg, Davies uses headings like armaments, civilians, aftermath, collaborators, etc.

This is the best book I read in 2007. Do yourself a favor and read this book. It will change the way you view WWII.

A Must Read for WWII Buffs

This book will open your eyes to realities about the war and the relative sizes of various campaigns and battles. For example The Battle of the Bulge is put in the proper perspective relative to MUCH larger battles in the USSR. This is not revisionist history, which I abhor. This is rather a recalibration of our perceptions of the war in a way that makes our understanding of it all the greater. This book also is very unflattering to Stalin, so don't worry that there is a hidden pro-Soviet agenda here.