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World War Two: Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West [Paperback]

Laurence Rees (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 6 Aug 2009

When do you think the Second World War ended?

If the end of the war was supposed to have brought 'freedom' to countries that suffered under Nazi occupation, then for millions it did not really end until the fall of Communism. In the summer of 1945 many of the countries in Eastern Europe simply swapped the rule of one tyrant, Adolf Hitler, for that of another: Joseph Stalin. Why this happened has remained one of the most troubling questions of the entire conflict, and is at the heart of Laurence Rees' dramatic book.

In World War II: Behind Closed Doors, Rees provides an intimate 'behind the scenes' history of the West's dealings with Joseph Stalin - an account which uses material only available since the opening of archives in the East as well as new testimony from witnesses from the period. An enthralling mix of high politics and the often heart-rending personal experiences of those on the ground, it will make you rethink what you believe about World War II.

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World War Two: Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West + Their Darkest Hour: People Tested to the Extreme in WWII + Horror In The East
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Product details

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: BBC Books (6 Aug 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 184607794X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1846077944
  • Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 2.9 x 19.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 168,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

'There are many surprises here... The relationship between Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill makes an ugly story, and Rees tells is extraordinarily well' (Max Hastings The Sunday Times )

Review

"a thoughtful and thought-provoking introduction to many of the shadier deals of the Second World War...The real virtue of this book lies in its ability to blend the experience of ordinary people into the narrative of public events...memorable in the extreme" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An enthralling read. 12 Feb 2009
By sgeoff
Format:Hardcover
This book holds the interest from first page to last. Pro-Stalin readers may not like the way Rees exposes the lies and crimes of the Soviet dictator, but anyone who wants to get behind the scenes of the war-time discussions will find this a fascinating and reliable account, with detailed attention to the cynical bargain struck by Hitler and Stalin to carve up Poland, and then later to the way in which Roosevelt and Churchill did everyhting possible to avoid annoying their new Russian ally - thereby almost inviting him to do what he liked with eastern Europe. Rees makes it clear that Russia was essential to the struggle with Nazi Germany, and suffered far, far greater casualties than the western allies, but it is still tragic to see Roosevelt and Churchill turning a blind eye to events like the Katyn massacre of some 7000 Polish officers on Stalin's orders. The Russian fabrications relating to this, and their attempts to pin the crime on Garmany at the Nuremberg trials,are told in full. This is carefully reseached and gives much that a reader of general world war 2 literature will not have met. It covers the whole period of the war, is very readable, and very highly recommended.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, a sign of new trend in WWII historiography 12 Feb 2009
By M. Gasior
Format:Hardcover
I totally disagree with William Podmore's review. The author clearly states that the storyline is based as close as it's possible on archival material and from my knowledge of the subject it's so far one of the most reliable accounts of Soviet-Nazi and Soviet-Western Allies relations I have ever read.
I agree Rees has discovered nothing particularly new in terms of general historical knowledge, all those events were well documented before, but the real value of the book and the TV series is that first time a professional historian, a Westerner, decided to examine closely the relation between two 20th century monsters - Nazis and Soviets. This is quite a common knowledge in the countries who happened to be on the wrong side of Iron Curtain, but for everage Brit or Yank it will be a revelation, a historical earthquake and, finally, quite a painful truth about their countries responsibilities for Cold War.
Author doesn't skip briefly over Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany; Rees clearly states the scale of Soviet casualties and importance of Eastern Front in Nazi defeat. The overwhelming impression the reader reach is that without Soviets victory would be impossible. And that's true. But in the same time the Soviet achievements are superbly counterbalanced by terrible crimes commited by NKVD (the Katyn Massacre re-enactment is a real shocker, the evidence provided by Rees is also overwhelming), by Russian support for German war effort before Barbarossa without which Germany wouldn't be able to carry on in Europe and North Africa in the same time. Not many people know Stalin offered Ribbentrop the assistance of Red Army in a case of invasion of Germany by other powers (we can only assume he meant France and Britain).... Read more ›
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Behind closed doors 8 Mar 2010
By Mr. James E. Parrott
Format:Paperback
The book is a real eye opener, until reading this I believed or half believed that Roosevelt and Churchill saw eye to eye on most things and they shared a common sense of moarality. After reading this book I have discovered that Roosevelt was quite happy to use and discard Churchill when it suited him, even laughing and degrading him with Stalin behind his back. In his defence he was manipualted by Stalin, and so was Churchill, but at least Churchill realised what Stalin wanted and did fight against it for a large part, eventually giving in to pressure and the realisation that he was powerless to fight against the tide. Whilst Roosevelt was too concerned with his own aims of creating a united nations rather than look to the future especially for Eastern Europe. It also portrays the shameful side to the british war effort by not even iniviting the Polish services, who had fought so caoutageously, to even join in the VE day parade! A fact I had never even relaised or imagined possible.
Jim Parrott.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Well Told History 20 Jan 2010
By J. E. Parry VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
This book helps to add a more rounded picture to our knowledge of the relationship between the Allies during WW2. Thanks to archive material released following the fall of the USSR we are now able to discover the truth behind the accepted wisdom.

We are shown that Churchill and Roosevelt went out of there way to build a personal relationship with Stalin. This was often done at the expense of the other leader. Agreements were made that weakened the position of each Western leader as they set out to get the best from the discussions.

We also find that neither Churchill or Roosevelt understood that Stalin was a dictator and therefore not subject to public opinion or pressure from other members of the politburo. In fact they chose to believe that the Soviet leader was able o change position on subjects and alter his policy to suit his own ends.

Two of the biggest shocks were that both Churchill and Roosevelt were happy to sell the Polish nation down the river and unilaterally agree to giving Stalin the Eastern half of Poland that he'd taken in 1939. In addition we see that the "special relationship", that we all grew up believing in, never actually existed.

Roosevelt was happy to belittle Churchill and to make decisions without his involvement. Equally Churchill had less influence over Roosevelt than we had previously thought. There was no doubt which country was the senior and the ultimate powerbroker here.

This is a highly recommended read and is fast paced - on occasion a little to fast as you seem to move through long periods of time in a few pages.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A Good read
A good read from a brilliant series on the BBC from a few years ago.I recommend it whole heartedly if you are interested in WW2
Published 8 days ago by raymond gilbert
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and Interesting
A great book if you want to know what happened during WW2 with Stalin and how the allies and the Nazis dealt with him. Read more
Published 4 months ago by atticusfinch1048
3.0 out of 5 stars Misses the Broader Context
The myth of the Second World War as a crusade for democracy and freedom was exploded long ago, and it is surprising to find a book published in 2008 presenting it as a new... Read more
Published 7 months ago by S. Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars When an English Public School Boy meets a ruthless Georgian Mouzhik
There is no doubt that history of WWII and in particular a book on the main players on this huge chessboard of Humanity, will always command a keen public readership: Laurence... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Constantin ROMAN
5.0 out of 5 stars The Door Has Opened....... Slightly.
It has taken a long time for people living in what is termed "the West" to begin to understand the enormity of the Soviet's evil, so that the Soviet and Nazi actions, though... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Nicodemus
5.0 out of 5 stars Another superb book from Laurence Rees
I've recently finished reading this latest book from Laurence Rees and found it to be up to his usual standard. Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2011 by Mrs. TK Ellis
5.0 out of 5 stars Response for important questions
Have you always been thinking about decisions made during the World War II? Was there any chance for Churchill and Roosevelt to stop Stalin from occupying Western Europe, how... Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2010 by Straban
5.0 out of 5 stars the best!
One of the best history books I read. Readable, fascinating, interesting, well documented - big bravo for Mr. Rees - I will for sure buy his other books as well. Read more
Published on 10 Oct 2010 by su
4.0 out of 5 stars No alliances at all between the Allies
The book illustrates how badly the Soviets were hit by Allied double-crossing during the War. Initially it looked as though Stalin and the Soviet Union would fight on the German... Read more
Published on 4 Sep 2010 by Mr. Robin D. Lewis
1.0 out of 5 stars Worth not for BBC, but for Daily Star
Bought this book some time ago, but only now got to read it. The impression is of the amateur (or of somebody seeking cheap popularity). Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2010 by A. Bogdanov
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