The Allies Strike Back, 1941–1943

This second volume (after The Rise of Germany, 1939–1941) in a projected trilogy by historian Holland begins with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party seemingly at the height of their power. As Holland adroitly points out, however, appearances are often deceiving. Despite the image of technological superiority, for example, the Wehrmacht's transportation system was still overwhelmingly dependent on horses and human muscle. The scarcity of natural resources and manpower reserves meant that German forces needed to perform strategically quick campaigns. By 1942, the German war effort was stalling and the Allies were posed to take the offensive in large part owing to the mobilization of resources from the United States. Holland skillfully integrates the technological and logistical underpinnings necessary to waging modern warfare into his well-researched narrative of how World War II was fought. He moves easily from larger themes of grand strategy and troop movements to stories from all sides of the conflict. Some characters were famous in their day—such as actor-turned-naval officer Douglas Fairbanks Jr.—while others were common soldiers, reminding readers of the human dimensions of war.