This volume investigates the multifaceted origins, execution, and geopolitical aftermath of World War II, seeking to provide a comprehensive re-assessment for a contemporary audience. Edited by historian Richard Overy, the work synthesizes contributions from various experts to analyze the conflict not merely as a series of military engagements, but as a transformative global event. The text utilizes a broad analytical framework to connect the political instability of the 1930s with the eventual emergence of the Cold War order.

Experts recognize this volume as a reliable and accessible synthesis of modern scholarship regarding the Second World War. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which makes it a suitable resource for students and researchers seeking a high-level overview of the conflict.