From an acclaimed military historian, a fascinating account of just how close the Allies were to losing World War II. Most of us rally around the glory of the Allies' victory over the Nazis in World War II. The story is often told of how the good fight was won by an astonishing array of manpower and stunning tactics. However, what is often overlooked is how the intersection between Adolf Hitler's influential personality and his military strategy was critical in causing Germany to lose the war. With an acute eye for detail and his use of clear prose, Bevin Alexander goes beyond counterfactual What if? history and explores for the first time just how close the Allies were to losing the war. Using beautifully detailed, newly designed maps, How Hitler Could Have Won World War II exquisitely illustrates the important battles and how certain key movements and mistakes by Germany were crucial in determining the war's outcome. Alexander's harrowing study shows how only minor tactical changes in Hitler's military approach could have changed the world we live in today. Alexander probes deeply into the crucial intersection between Hitler's psyche and military strategy and how his paranoia fatally overwhelmed his acute political shrewdness to answer the most terrifying question: Just how close were the Nazis to victory?
Let us count the ways. Bevin Alexander has 24, In a book I wish I could
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 14 years ago
have written had I the talent to write & the knowledge of which I have neither. This is not alternative history, it is mistakes Hitler made along the way in World War II. You might think that Hitler confused luck with his skill as a military tactician. You'd be right, he had none. Skill as a military tactician that is. Winning a war usually involves a bit of luck. After his success in duping the appeasers before the war, he had early successes in both eastern & western Europe. He failed to capitalize on them & Mr. Bevin explains. Hitler totally misjudged the British people. Big mistake. He shifted his bombing in summer & fall of 1940 from the docks & airfields to terror bombing of London & other urban areas. The aroused the Brits like nothing else could have & filled them with unshakable resolve. Operation Sea Lion was postponed, then called off. Operation Barbarossa. Biggest mistake of all. Before Great Britain was knocked out he invaded his ally, The Soviet Union. Those are the highlights & of course there are many other chapters. To review them all would take more pages & time. Could Hitler have won the war had he avoided some or all of these pitfalls is of course unknowable. Could he have extended the war? Absolutely. The amount of information Mr. Bevins puts into only 303 pages is remarkable. This inspires me to seek out other books by Mr. Bevins. An interesting book to read & re-read.
Excellent & Detailed Narrative
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
This book not only paints a broad picture of the military mistakes Hitler made, but it also backs them up with precise, detailed historical facts of the results that each of these mistakes caused. It's so detailed and well described that I found myself being repeatedly scared by how close that meglomaniac came to succeeding. Great book!!
2nd time I have read this book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
If you are interested in World War II, This book is an excellent read. I found it very interesting. Scary how close Hitler came to winning. I have read it several times and plan on reading it again. I ALSO HAVE A VIDEO BY THE SAME NAME. This is a MUST READ. I definately recommend it to any one interested in the subject
very entrateining
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
As usual every book of Bevin Alexander is very nice to read, full of details and explanations. The theory suggested is for sure a very intresting one, form the Political and miltary point of view he surely has a point. Economically the story is a little complicated, the containment of Russia for sure was a better alternative to a frontal confrontation, on top of that Russia was still delivering the supply needed to Germany untill the day of the attack, but actually the debate is: could Germany become an economically independent empire without conquering the fields of Ucraina and the oil filed of the Caucasus? For sure the alternative to conquer Iran an Iraq for the oil part is correct, but still more than a military perspective, which is in my opinion very substainable, a further economic analysis could be very interesting.
A Concise and entertaining overview of the war in Europe and Africa
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Alexander does an outstanding job of organizing the historical information into a concise, high level overview of the German efforts during WWII that flows better that any other history of this type that I've read. I would definitely recommend it as a quick read that will spark your interest in reading more in-depth texts on specific battles and individuals from the war.
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