The Second World War: The Nobel Prize-Winning History of World War II

Wow...that is all I could say after completing this 6 volume set. Wow for 1. I'm proud of myself for reading a 6 volume set, which takes a lot of dedication for any reader, especially a 23 year old college student who was reading this for fun in addition to college and work, and more importantly, 2. I'm in amazement at how sad I am to be done with reading this masterful volume on the Second World War by Sir Winston Churchill as it truly is amazing and interesting history. Churchill's account of the Second World War or WWII, as it is more commonly referred to here in the United States, is nothing short of breathtaking. Churchill provides numerous upon numerous first hand accounts such as telegrams, letters, etc, that he wrote during the war, as well as telegrams, letters, etc, he received from guys you may be familiar with in FDR, Stalin, Ike, Truman, etc. These definitely add to the immense pleasure one gets from reading this 6 volume story of WWII from Churchill's perspective. Churchill does a fair job for the most part at explaining the major battles and military events, but I'd be lying if I told you that you would not be disappointed if you expect a blow by blow, in depth strategic and tactically look at every major battle. Some battles are just mentioned in passing, mainly in the Pacific and Eastern European theaters, but this is to be expected as Churchill had more to do with the Western European/Mediterrean/Middle East theaters for the most part. No, the real strength of these sets is the political aspects we get to look at throughout. Brilliant insight into some of the leaders tough decisions and various disagreements along the way.Here's a brief rundown of SOME of what to expect in each Volume.1: First half of book...brings you up to WWII, covers major events from 1919-1939. Second half, you get the invasion of Poland, etc.2. France falls in first half and Britain stands alone for the rest of the book pretty much. This has been said to be Churchill's best of the set, I can't disagree.3. Russia and US enter the war. Talks about UBoats, battle for Atlantic.4. El Alamein, Operation Torch, mainly about Africa.5. Italian Campaign as well as Sicily that preceded it.6. D-Day, drive to Germany, end of the war in Europe, defeating Japan, etc. I personally thought he should have shown more in depth looks at the Normandy Campaign and such, as well as the battles that led up to the defeat of Japan. Just minor gripes, Churchill's still the man.Now that's just a brief rundown of major stuff. You noticed I did not mention political stuff for the most part, but it's all throughout, trust me. If you enjoy Churchill or WWII or both, you should purchase these and enjoy. Once again, this is Churchill's memoirs of the war, not a strict military summary, so don't expect that. The battles are there, but Churchill was a politician so it's only fair he focuses on that throughout as well. 5/5 for sure.

Well written, informative, well worth the time

This is a view from the top history by the leader of Great Britain.

Aside from being one of the most heralded memoirs, the books were delivered on time, in exceptional condition. Thank you.

Extremely well written, engaging, detailed, and insightful. Slanted slightly toward the British view, as one would naturally expect, but on the whole very balanced and incredibly informative. Churchill had a gift for leadership and for writing, and both of those strengths are on full display in these volumes.

Good writing, multiple insights, about 3,6000 pages by the man in the middle.

If you are a WWII aficionado, this series is a must for you. All six (6) volumes of "Second World War" by Winston S. Churchill. While they are "soft cover" they come in a sturdy presentation box. Well worth the very attractive price.

Well I just finished the last of his 6 volumes. I think that was the most ambitious reading project I’ve ever attempted!It was very gratifying to form an impression of that famous man. He exposed his innermost thoughts. Surprising to me he seemed to be very “juvenile” for lack of a better term. Always minimizing the United States’ contributions, roles and actions in comparison to Britain’s. He never failed to let his reader know when the Brits had bigger numbers!A big surprise to me was how inept the Brits were prior to our entry in the war. He was very honest about this amazing fact!As long as the Brits had a role, small as it might be compared to the U.S., he would refer to it as the Allies! Yet if their role was superior to ours he’d give stats and quote numbers.He reminded me of Obama in that every time he got out of his home country on business he’d turn it into an extended and extravagant vacation! Then brag about!He was no doubt a very determined man, never giving up until he was at last bested! Then even after that, if he’d eventually been proven to have been correct, he’d repeatedly remind the reader of that fact! (again juvenile?)He was no doubt very intelligent and had tremendous foresight! The U.S. would have been wise to have followed his advice many times when they didn’t.His disclosure of the closed back room discussions of the most powerful men of the world is priceless! He was the only one of them to pass these on to posterity!Lastly, as I anticipated, it was very satisfying to me to finally get the whole of WW ll laid out from beginning to end in chronological order. His method of delivery of this very complex story was very well organized!It was a bit of a strain to continue reading it at times. He was very repetitive saying the same thing over and over in his thoughts, speeches and messages. Then, particularly in battles or military campaigns your left feeling slighted. More and better maps would have helped me.Don’t give up! Read it to the end! You’ll be glad you did!