The Second World War is the nightmare that sits at the heart of the modern era; a refutation of any notion of human progress that haunts us seventy years on. Norman Stone's gripping book tells the narrative of the war in as brief a compass as possible, making sometimes familiar events fresh and arresting. A pacy, compelling and penetrating account - from the great Norman Stone 'The best short primer on the war in twenty years' Andrew Roberts Norman Stone's gripping book tells the narrative of the Second World War in as brief a compass as possible, making a sometimes familiar story utterly fresh and arresting. As with his highly acclaimed World War One- A Short History, there is a compelling sense of a terrible story unfolding, of a sceptical and humorous intelligence at work, and a wish to convey to an audience who may well have no memory of the conflict just how high the stakes were.