The Storm of War

A New History of the Second World War

By: Andrew Roberts

Narrated by: Christian Rodska

Length: 28 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The Second World War lasted for 2,174 days, cost $1.5 trillion, and claimed the lives of more than 50 million people. What were the factors that affected the war's outcome? Why did the Axis lose? And could they, with a different strategy, have won?

Andrew Roberts' acclaimed new history has been hailed as the finest single-volume account of this epic conflict. From the western front to North Africa, from the Baltic to the Far East, he tells the story of the war - the grand strategy and the individual experience, the cruelty and the heroism - as never before.

In researching this magnificently vivid history, Roberts walked many of the key battlefields and wartimes sites in Russia, France, Italy, Germany, and the Far East, and drew on a number of never-before-published documents, such as a letter from Hitler's director of military operations explaining the reasoning behind the Fuhrer's order to halt the Panzers outside Dunkirk - a delay that enabled British forces to evacuate. Roberts illuminates the principal actors on both sides and analyzes how they reached critical decisions. He also presents the tales of many little-known individuals whose experiences form a panoply of the extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice, as well as the terrible depravity and cruelty, of the Second World War.

Meticulously researched and masterfully written, The Storm of War gives a dramatic account of this momentous event and shows in remarkable detail why the war took the course it did.

©2011 Andrew Roberts (P)2011 Tantor

Definitive Historical Account

After reading and watching countless other accounts of WW2, this is the most definitive and comprehensive and complete by 10X. Analyzing all major strategic decisions and hitlers maniacal blunders, ego and cruelty vs the sound leadership starting with Churchill and FDR in marshaling all resources, industrial, scientific and intellectual; not to understate the efforts, courage and sacrifice of the warriors on the front lines on land sea and air.

Wonderul, informative, great perspective.

I am a military history buff. This book was a wonderful insight into World War 2. I loved the perpective, covering a great dealof the war never told by the American side. The Eastern war in Europoe was a huge part that is glossed over in most American books about the war, isuppose becuase we had little involvement in it. I think the book is well written and we narrated. I intend to listen again when i have time becuase there is so much information. Thanks

for the avid historian or the newbie alike

it's a great book. lots of information but told in a way that you thoroughly enjoy hearing it. even if you know the battle plans and the theaters it's still very well read and narrated. it's a win.

The details and depth of analysis.

I dislike nothing. I liked the reader use of accents he used when he incertere quotes.

Good with reservations.

If you’re a WWII buff you’ve heard most of this this before. Still, the author provides some new perspectives on the events that will be of interest to the dedicated listener. He is incredibly opinionated for a historian and it shows throughout the book. He treats Ireland’s neutrality very harshly, conveniently forgetting that she had just gained independence (where Churchill played a role) in a very bitter struggle less than twenty years earlier. But a few examples of the mistreatment of Ireland over the centuries, at the hand of the English and allies, include Henry VIII’s destruction of the monasteries, the plantations (leading eventually to the Northern Ireland conflict), Cromwell’s ravages (just as bad as the Einsatzgruppen), the Penal Times of the 1700s and on and on. So the Irish had lots of good reasons to not trust Churchill. But as another reviewer points out many Irish volunteered and served with the allies in both world wars. I agree De Valeria’s actions on hearing of Hitler’s death was crazy but don’t judge the country or the people on that one man. On the other head he gives plenty of credit to the Russians massive contribution to the war, as well as nice character analyses on the major characters - for example the German generals. So for the most part a good read. I enjoyed Napoleon more, by the same author.

A great read with wonderful narration

This was a great retelling of the various events that encapsulated WW2. The narration was outstanding and wildly entertaining.

a well rounded review of the war in Europe

this is an excellent review of the war in Europe. from Hitler's rise to power to his suicide and the Nuremberg trials, this history covers every aspect of the war in Europe: the movements of forces, specific fronts, specific important battles, Nazi occupation, the Holocaust, etc. There is an excellent blend of text-book facts and eyewitness accounts. Everything has been collated into a whole which is definitely more than the sum of its parts. The narration brings it all to life, making what could have been a dry list of facts into an epic human struggle.


two tiny quibbles:

the war in India and the Pacific are given much shorter reviews, consisting mostly of "the main moves" on the relevant battlefields. this is partially justified by the allied "Germany first" policy. still, a little more depth would have been nice.

I was also not thrilled that the author often engaged in "what if"s. however, Roberts does this from a highly informed standpoint, so there's usually some merit to the exercise. moreover, at the end of the book he uses the accumulated speculations to drive home his point: that the defeat of Germany was by no means guaranteed, even though (according to Roberts) Nazism contained the seeds of its own downfall.

Best WW2 book

Amazingly thorough with emphasis on blunders and brilliance throughout -an eye-opener for me. Excellent.

wonderful comprehensive history of the conflict

excellent performance and content. I learned interesting and new information that I was unaware of prior to this book, despite being a student of the conflict

Exacting detail

Simply a must listen. Takes the reader from start to finish of world war II.