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The Origins of the Second World War
 
 

The Origins of the Second World War (Paperback)

by A.J.P. Taylor (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books; New Ed edition (30 Aug 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 014013672X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140136722
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 26,705 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #2 in  Books > History > Other Historical Subjects > Historians > Taylor, AJP
    #33 in  Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Countries > Europe
  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Product Description

Product Description

One of the most popular and controversial historians of the twentieth century, who made his subject accessible to millions, A.J.P. Taylor caused a storm of outrage with this scandalous bestseller. Debunking what were accepted truths about the Second World War, he argued provocatively that Hitler did not set out to cause the war as part of an evil master plan, but blundered into it partly by accident, aided by the shortcomings of others. Fiercely attacked for vindicating Hitler, A.J.P. Taylor’s stringent re-examination of the events preceding the Nazi invasion of Poland on 1st September 1939 opened up new debate, and is now recognized as a brilliant and classic piece of scholarly research. ‘Highly original and penetrating … No one who has digested this enthralling work will ever be able to look at the period again in quite the same way’ Sunday Telegraph.


About the Author

A.J.P. Taylor (1906-1990) was one of the most controversial historians of the twentieth century. He served as a lecturer at the Universities of Manchester, Oxford, and London.

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A provocative, enthralling account of excellence., 6 Jan 2000
By A Customer
'The Origins of the Second World War' is one of the finest works of modern revisionism in European History. The controversial ideals propounded therein contiue to cause consternation among many academics. It is, to a degree, the continuation of his previous volume in the Oxford History of Europe (The Struggle for Mastery in Europe 1848-1918), perhaps a criticism of 'Origins' is that it centres on Europe. But 'Origins' became his apotheosis vis-a-vis revisionism: questioning the apparently sacrosacnt ideal that Hitler had single handedly planned and caused the War. He blamed the controversy the book caused for his 'removal' from Oxford. Whether or not this is the case, one cannot say. 'Origins', however, will an important historical for years to come.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but narrowly focused, 18 April 2006
By G. Thulbourn (England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Fascinating book which broke down a lot of the myths I had learnt about the 2nd World War. However, it looks at the situation purely from a political point of view and covers little background as to: the economy, the public, the USA and the preparations for war.

If you're after a casual more rounded read I'd look elsewhere, but as a focused 'text book' this is pretty definitive.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Origins Of The Second World War, A.J.P. Taylor - A masterwork of historical research, 28 Sep 2009
By Victor Tugelbend (Hull, England) - See all my reviews
  
Intensely controversial in its day, this book is now recognised as being an important piece of historical research which lay bare the reasons for the cataclysm that defined the twentieth century.

It suited those involved to present the 2nd world war as a result of the evil machinations of Hitler, a view reinforced in the public's mind by Churchill's own account of the war. In this book Taylor presents the alternative view that it wasn't a pre-planned, but we fell into it almost by accident. At the time of publication the war was still a raw memory and Churchill was a public hero, lauded for his prescience before the outbreak of war and lading the nation through its darkest days, so this view which directly challenged the great man and brought back so many bad memories was controversial.

In this book we are presented with a wealth of evidence to support this radical view, a careful evaluation of all the available evidence, presented in a clear and readable fashion. The research is authoritative, but the real joy of this book is its readability. Unlike some accounts of tangled world affairs, this is incredibly accessible, and not just for scholars.

A must read for anyone interested in this era of history. 5 stars.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A classic explanation, though a little outdated now
Taylor's is a classic explanation of the main causes of WW2, but new research by people such as Victor Suvorov, have now shed more light on how the war developed from a minor... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. M. A. La Vardera

5.0 out of 5 stars Controversial But Sexy
This is a Brilliant book. It displays the events that led to the second world war with ease and delicacy. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Samuel Phillips

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother with this!
This is a very dated book with no new material or insight added since this, the most current, edition was published in 1963. Read more
Published 9 months ago by A Customer

4.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading
This is a book central to the 20th Century. Giving birth to the Revisionist view of the 2nd World War, Taylor confronts all the Western assumptions of German guilt, analyses them... Read more
Published on 12 Nov 2004 by g_campbell1

5.0 out of 5 stars Controversial, exciting, a fascinating insight...
A genuine contribution to history, written for the layman in a human style that portrays the characters moods and mood swings very effectively. Read more
Published on 8 Jul 2001 by J. C. Okonkwo

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