'Few historians could have taken on the daunting challenge of attempting a global history of the Second World War; but Gerhard Weinberg succeeds brilliantly. It is a masterly study which is unlikely to be surpassed.' Ian Kershaw, University of Sheffield 'Weinberg's book is a clearly-written account of events, with enormous ... reliable encyclopaedic summaries of anything about which you need ... Read moreto know.' Norman Stone, The Times '... a remarkable achievement ... It certainly deserves to be placed alongside the war histories of John Keegan, Martin Gilbert and A. J. P. Taylor. As a sheer work of reference it outclasses even them.' Andrew Roberts, The Sunday Telegraph 'This is a tour de force; classical diplomatic history at its best. Weinberg's global view of the war pays dividends again and again ... '. David Reynolds, New York Times 'This is an extraordinary book ... an invaluable source for anyone needing in one place as many ideas as possible abut the Second World War ... Moral and humane feelings underpin his copious scholarship at every point, giving admirable depth and dimension to this monumental intellectual performance.' The Washington Post '... fully lives up to its subsidiary title and to the claims made by its publishers. This is a first class strategic history of the war.' The British Army Review '... a coherent - in fact, hypnotic - narrative offered up in a single, handsome volume ... surely the finest one-volume history we have of the most important event of the century.' American Heritage '... a blockbuster of a survey, grounded, to a remarkable extent for so large a work, in primary sources and also in an evident mastery of the secondary literature. It is a joy to read: lively, vigorous, and...altogether a stylistic gem ... [it] offers refreshingly forthright judgments on every major aspect of World War II strategy and policy.' Naval War College Review No one, scholars included, should presume to know about the Second World War if they have not read this book. American Heritage ...Weinberg has written the most authoritative single-volume account of the Second World War, a book that the author describes, with ample reason, as a global history. It's easy enough to tell what happended, but to explain why requires the sort of vast knowledge that Weinberg commands. Forbes ...a blockbuster of a survey, grounded, to a remarkable extent for so large a work, in primary sources and also in an evident mastery of the secondary literature. It is a joy to read: lively, vigorous, and...altogether a stylistic gem....[it] offers refreshinly forthright judgments on every major aspect of World War II strategy and policy. Naval War College Review The bulk of the book, over 900 pages, delivers a clearly written chronological narrative of the war....Weinberg's book is based not only on mastery of the published literature, but is also the product of fifteen years of archival research....In terms of its comprehensiveness and disciplined scholarship, the work outshines that of his predecessors. The Boston Book Review A World at Arms provided me with an entirely new panorama of the world at war. I'm overwhelmed with its refreshing sense of candor, its incisive and direct overview of the global conflict of our times. A magnificent read! Kathy Anderson, General Trade Buyer, University Bookstore, UC-San Diego ...the text is a masterpiece of clear, level-headed explanation...It certainly deserves to be placed alongside the war histories of John Keegan, Martin Gilbert, and A.J.P. Taylor. As a sheer work of reference, it outclasses even them. Andrew Roberts, Sunday Telegraph This is the book on the Second World War that we have been waiting for, a truly global analysis which conveys the breadth, craftsmanship and sagacious insights of a master historian. Carole Fink, author of Marc Bloch A most impressive work, the product of a distinguished historian at the height of his powers. Written in a clear and direct style, the book is peppered with sharp insights and shrewd observations and should appeal to a very wide audience. Jeremy Noakes, author of Nazism 1919-1945 and Intelligence and International Relations, 1900-45 Few historians could have taken on the daunting challenge of attempting a global history of the Second World War; but Gerhard Weinberg succeeds brilliantly. It is a masterly study which is unlikely to be surpassed. Ian Kershaw, author of Nazi Dictatorship and Hitler Gerhard Weinberg is probably the world's leading expert on Hitler's foreign policy and his book on the second world war, A World At Arms, published in 1994, is by far the best single-volume history of that global sonflict. Vernon Bogdanor, Professor of Government at Oxford University Show Less