The Second World War (3) The War at Sea

The third volume covering World War II in the Essential Histories collection, THE WAR AT SEA, focuses almost exclusively on maritime operations around the globe. As with the first volume in this sub-series ([[ASIN:0415968453 The Pacific ]]), this one had the unenviable task of covering a very long time period and incredibly complex story within the very limiting 96-page format of the Essential Histories series. Jumping all around the globe, covering major sea battles in the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Oceans, the authors make a valiant attempt at the near-impossible task of nugget-izing such a huge component of the largest war in human history. Obviously, they had little room for detailed descriptions of many battles, and what you end up with is a lot of overviews and statistics from key battles and specific time frames. Mostly descriptions such as how many battleships, cruisers, submarines, and aircraft carriers each nation started and ended the war with, as well as how many casualties they suffered, ect. The numbers are impressive, and a big part of the story, but they are not what you'll remember from this volume. Instead, this volumes stands out as excellent in its analyses and synopses of the pivotal technologies and strategies that made the biggest differences in the outcome of the war. The impact of sea-based aircraft (fighters and bombers, as well as torpedo planes) and submarines are two areas that had huge impacts on the war at sea and the entirety of World War 2. Indeed, the ability of the Allies to dominate the world's oceans was one of the most important factors in determining the outcome of the war overall. Without the ability to supply the Soviet Union through the North Sea, or protect trade routes across the world, or establish firm landing zones in Western and Southern Europe, the war would not have progressed the way it did. The story told in these pages is one of utmost importance for the Second World War as a whole, and while more space could have been wished for to tell these tales, we can at least be thankful that the space allowed was efficiently used. The Essential Histories covering World War 2 continue to earn high marks from me. Recommended.