1001 Things Everyone Should Know About WWII

April 1, 2002
From Hitler's invasion of Poland to the Nuremburg trials, 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About World War II sketches each step of the combat in an easy-to-read, chronological overview that includes 124 b&w photos. The six chapters one for each year of the war feature short, numbered paragraphs that describe each maneuver made by the various nations, with some analysis of strategies and pitfalls by author Frank E. Vandiver (1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the Civil War), director of the Mosher Institute for Defense Studies at Texas A&M. Together, the entries paint a detailed portrait of the war's progression.

May 1, 2002
Historian Vandiver, best known for his Civil War histories, here borrows a format from one of them (1,001 Things Everyone Should Know About the Civil War) for this examination of a global conflict. To equal the coverage provided by that book, Vandiver could have offered "10,001 Things," but by drawing from broad themes and small actions within the period he still gives us something new on nearly every page. Of course, the single sentence beginning every "thing" often results in an overly broad treatment of facets of a personality or a moment in the conflict; Churchill, for instance, is far more complex than suggested by some of Vandiver's statements, e.g., "Enmeshed in the dailiness of war, Churchill often meddled too much in his generals' decisions...often proposing strategies beyond resources, but as a morale builder he was magnificent." But dedicated followers of the war as well as neophytes are certain to learn something new here, and the outline form is a good way to understand the flow of events. A valuable reference item for history collections. Mel Lane, Sacramento, CA

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2003
Adult/High School-Beginning with 1939 and ending with the Nuremberg Trials and the Far Eastern Trials (into 1948), Vandiver offers a chronological listing of events and people he has chosen as significant to World War II. The text covers broad topics or complex events in succinct, precise terms yet captures the essence of why they are considered important to the war. While the author may include a detail or personal quirk for a specific person, the information focuses on that person's importance at that moment in time. The effect results in the jigsawlike fitting of the entries into the overall history of the war. Enhancements include a few personal accountings, song lyrics of the era, and more than 100 black-and-white photographs. The maps are hard to read, offer unclear markings, and are often confusing, but they don't lessen the quality of the chronology or the information included in it. For students, the breakdown of events can be a resource in finding specific information, persons, or occurrences. Easy to read and use, precise without being overwhelming, this title provides a well-organized approach to understanding the immensity of World War II.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2002
The handy and very informative reference tool is being published to coincide with the anniversary of V-E Day. Vandiver, president emeritus of Texas A & M University and a military historian, has compiled a massive amount of data and organized it into a chronological and cogent survey of some of the most critical elements of the war. For the layman and even for many scholars, this book contains loads of valuable and often surprising information on obscure aspects of the conflict. There are fascinating tidbits here on topics as varied as the British supply problem during the campaign in Burma, MacArthur's conflicts with subordinates, and the abuses carried out by Soviet soldiers against German civilians. More than 100 black-and-white photographs complement the text. This will be a valuable addition to the military history collections of public and college libraries. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)