The Great World War 1914-45 Vol. 1 & 2 (2000-2001) By John Bourne, Peter Liddle & Ian Whitehead
 
The argument of this set is that the two world wars were actually just one long war with a confusing intermission and that the two parts of the conflict have common themes, e.g., the problems of coalition warfare, the experience of prisoners of war, and the shattering experience of both wars, with increasing casualty rates and strategic bombing really hitting hard on the Home Front.
 
The first volume focused on military affairs, while this follow-up focuses on civilians and home fronts, the so-called People's War. Thirty-five authors contributed 31 chapters about the moral, cultural, and social experiences of the conflict, covering topics such as British art and fiction, propaganda, the Arab world, classical music, colonial India, and the tribulations of German and Japanese women. Three chapters in the last section discuss how this great world war is and should be remembered, an issue that has been fought over quite a lot in the last few decades. Excerpts from other works are used liberally throughout. Each chapter is complemented by endnotes and a short list of recommended readings, and the final chapter is a bibliographic essay on the main sources used in studying the wars.
 
This set complements such histories as Earl R. Beck's The European Home Fronts, 1939-1945 (H. Davidson, 1993). Well worth reading and suitable for the military history collections of both public and academic libraries. 
 
Two Books in the Set
Volume 1: Lightning Strikes Twice
Volume 2: Who Won? Who Lost?
 
Soft Cover
In Good condition