After the desertion and destruction of the Great War, everyone expected that a lasting peace would be the first concern for the rulers of the world. Instead, however, the victors chose to seek revenge and imposed harsh, offensive terms on the conditions with defeated Germany. As described by Norman Stone, the consequences of this strategy were more than disastrous. With "A Concise History of World War II," Stone presents with enviable accuracy the deadliest conflict in human history and identifies the causes that led to it in the ashes of the First World War. Adolf Hitler exploited the despair and desperation of the German people and managed to gain the blind trust of the majority due to the promises he made to restore German power and dignity. Through deliberate manipulation, he cornered the victors of the Great War and, by invading Poland, forced them to declare war on him. Essentially, Hitler manipulated European pathologies, hostilities, and hatred and ignited a mechanism that, reinforced by the most deadly racist ideologies and the most advanced weapons of mass destruction, led to an unprecedented global conflict.

With the prestige and credibility that distinguishes him, Norman Stone offers readers a concise and, at the same time, sufficient picture of the causes, escalation, and disastrous consequences of the most terrible conflict experienced by humanity. "A Concise History of World War II" constitutes an invaluable contribution to our efforts to understand the twentieth century and the war that shaped the destinies of humanity like no other.