Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)After all of the scores of books written about the origins of the Second World War it might seem that another is redundant, but Lamb and Tarling have truly made a valuable contribution with this book. They survey the diplomatic history of the interwar period very clearly and concisely, summarizing the internal political factors underlying the diplomatic moves. In the course of their book they provide a good and unprejudical review of the major views on key points. The treatment of the European and Asian ends of the story is well integrated -- far more so than in most accounts, which tend to concentrate on one end or the other and lose a great deal of coherence in the process. And they provide a good brief introduction to the historiography. The text is much enlivened by deft and judicious use of brief quotations from participants.
It is not at all possible, of course, to cover the story of the war's origins comprehensively and in depth in 200 pages of text. Many of the details and nuances of the diplomatic history are lost, the treatment of political factors is fairly sketchy, that of the economic factors still more so, and there is essentially nothing on the social factors. There are also a few lacunae, as when a few of the many people mentioned in the text are brought in without specifying who they were, what positions they held, or why they were important.
Overall, however, this has to rate as the best brief introduction to this richly complex and still relevant period.
Will O'Neil
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