Portents for a future world war

The author painstakingly links events taking place in one theatre with those unfolding in another and how their mutual dynamics affected outcomes in each

Gerhard L Weinberger’s monumental history of World War II had been sitting unread on my bookshelf for the past five years. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the heavy-weight volume served to occupy several solitary days at home. In A World at Arms Mr Weinberger has produced a magisterial survey of the 1939-45 war, focusing on its global dimensions and inter-connections, analysing the impact of new weaponry and war strategies and pondering over both the genius and the foibles of the main dramatis personae. This new edition being reviewed has incorporated significant newly available records and archival material. Some long-held narratives