|
Masters and Commanders: The Military Geniuses Who Led the West to Victory in World War II |  | Author: Andrew Roberts
Publisher: Penguin
Category: Book
List Price: £9.99
Buy New: £6.99
as of 10/9/2010 23:40 BST details
You Save: £3.00 (30%)
New (29) Used (10) from £1.78
Seller: Amazon.co.uk
Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 62690
Media: Paperback
Pages: 736
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0141029269
EAN: 9780141029269
ASIN: 0141029269
Publication Date: May 28, 2009
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
| |
| Features:
| • | New | | • | Mint Condition | | • | Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon | | • | Guaranteed packaging | | • | No quibbles returns |
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Describes how four titanic figures shaped the grand strategy of the West during the Second World War. This book traces the mutual suspicion and admiration, the rebuffs and the charm, the often explosive disagreements and wary reconciliations which resulted.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 18
 Bought for someone else July 28, 2010
Mrs. Audrey Williams (France)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Bought as a present for someone who rates it as 4 star. Not my scene.
Fresh approach to old history May 4, 2010
Luis Daoiz (Madrid, Spain)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
What's new about this book is not really what it tells (not many surprises here.- debating the second front, misgivings between Britons and Americans, De Gaulle being a nuissance...) but how it is told. The approach is simply outstanding, introducing you to an almost daily account of the decisions being taken by the political and military leaders of the U.S. and Great Britain during the war. Mr. Roberts manages to convey the difficulties facing those leaders at that precise moment, almost making you forget how the war actually ended and thus making it easier to understand the choices presented to them and how the answers were not so obvious at the moment as they seem today with the benefit of hindsight. It also presents us with valuable lessons on leadership, negotiation skills and strategy. Overall, it is a very good book, enjoyable to read and useful not only to history lovers but also to people interested in the intrincacies of decision-making.
An excellent account of key characters. January 6, 2010
D. Parkin
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Having read and very much enjoyed the companion work to this (his New History of the Second World War) getting this was a no-brainer. It is an excellent book, albeit one that feels a little denser, demanding close attention to details by the reader. The arguments that raged over the timing of a North European invasion between the Americans and the Brits are revealing, and their is new evidence here from lesser known players that is telling. Roberts' support for the figure of Churchill is unstinting, despite his own introduction of counterarguments for his hagiographry. That is a minor cavil for this reviewer, and I would love to see a companion piece (if possible) looking at the roles of other combatants (Roberts makes the observation that 4/5 of the German casualties were sustained against the Russians, which should act as a corrective to those who seek to overplay the role of the West in determining the German defeat, while the role of American aid cannot be underestimated).
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in this period, as it is a fair and well-judged piece of history. Like his 'New History' it does contain revisionist elements that earn this book a place on any good history bookshelf. It is well-paced, and deploys quotes that were new to me in a pungent way. Buy it!
 A remarkable achievement December 5, 2009
Rose Wood
I've been wanting to read this book ever since it was published, but was a bit daunted by the sheer size of it. But I have finally gotten around to it, and am so glad I did. Crammed with historical fact, it gives a fascinating insight into WW11 strategy and the men who shaped it. Incredibly well-researched, although not for the faint-hearted, this makes for an absorbing and educational read.
A remarkable achievement by Andrew Roberts and well worth the time spent. My advice is don't be put off by the length. For anyone interested in this period and the `where, why, how and by whom', this is a must-read.
How the War in the West was won November 19, 2009
Thomas Koetzsch (Hong Kong)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Andrew Roberts does an excellent job in portraying the professional lives of Brooke, Churchill, Roosevelt and Marshall and the interactions between these four characters in their efforts to determine the strategy for winning World War II. The author draws on a rather large pool of personal memoirs of this time period, quite a few of which the author admits should not have been written because the information therein was supposed to remain secret. But these gentlemen ignored that rule and thereby helped the author and ultimately us to understand the thinking behind these men's actions.
One word of warning though. This book is very detailed, which to me personally makes it a jewel, but if you are not an ardent reader you might find it too much to take.
I shall spare you a summary of the book's contents because it would be impossible to do so in any meaningful manner. You are infinitely better off reading it all yourself. I don't have any favourite parts, except perhaps for the author's conclusions, which I thought are rather spot-on.
Finally, what I found incredible throughout the book is that even though the persons characterised were almost constantly at war with each other, they still seem to have been able to conduct a rather successful campaign against the enemy they were supposed to unite against.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 18
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON EU S.à.r.l. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME. | |
