The Rise of Germany, 1939-1941: The War in the West

An account of the early years of World War II based on extensive new research: "A genuinely fresh approach . . . exceptional" (The Wall Street Journal).

James Holland, one of the leading young historians of World War II, has spent over a decade conducting new research, interviewing survivors, and exploring archives that have never before been so accessible to unearth forgotten memoirs, letters, and official records.

In The Rise of Germany 1938-1941, Holland draws on this research to reconsider the strategy, tactics, and economic, political, and social aspects of the war. The Rise of Germany is a masterful book that redefines our understanding of the opening years of World War II. Beginning with the lead-up to the outbreak of war in 1939 and ending in the middle of 1941 on the eve of Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of Russia, this book is a landmark history of the war on land, in the air, and at sea.

"Magnificent." -Andrew Roberts, New York Times-bestselling author of The Storm of War