The Legacy of the Second World War
For readers devoted to WW II histories, esteemed historian Lukacs (Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat, 2008) presents several interpretive essays about the origin, course, and ramifications of the conflict. WWII was inconceivable without instigation by Hitler; nevertheless, there are still open questions about Hitler that Lukacs pursues, such as the scale of the war he wanted (not a global conflagration runs the author’s argument). Lukacs also differentiates between the fanatic and the statesman, granting a kind of rationale to the dictator’s insistence on continuing the war until the bitter end, hoping for a split between the Allies—which did occur but too late for the Nazis. In addition to the cold war, another inheritance of WWII, the atomic bomb elicits Lukacs’ thoughts about the historically controversial 1941 meeting between Germany’s nuclear research chief, Werner Heisenberg, and his mentor, Niels Bohr. Including a chapter about American prewar strategic plans, Lukacs reminds readers that when it comes to WWII history, sections remain to be written, and what has been written departs from historical truth in certain ways. --Gilbert Taylor