Stalin's War Lib/E: A New History of World War II

Product Description


A prize-winning historian reveals how Stalin--not Hitler--was the animating force of World War II in this major new history.
We remember World War II as a struggle between good and evil, with Hitler propelling events and the Allied powers saving the day. But Hitler's armies did not fight in multiple theaters, his empire did not span the Eurasian continent, and he did not inherit the spoils of war. That role belonged to Joseph Stalin. Hitler's genocidal ambition may have unleashed Armageddon, but as celebrated historian Sean McMeekin shows, the conflicts that emerged were the result of Stalin's maneuverings, orchestrated to unleash a war between capitalist powers in Europe and between Japan and the Anglo-American forces in the Pacific. Meanwhile, the United States and Britain's self-defeating strategy of supporting Stalin and his armies at all costs allowed the Soviets to conquer most of Eurasia, from Berlin to Beijing, for Communism.
A groundbreaking reassessment, Stalin's War is essential reading for anyone looking to understand the roots of the current world order.


Review


"A sweeping reassessment of World War II...Brilliantly contrarian history."-- "Kirkus Reviews"


"Gripping, authoritative, accessible, and always bracingly revisionist."-- "Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times bestselling author"


"Packed with incisive character sketches and illuminating analyses of military and diplomatic maneuvers."-- "Publishers Weekly"


"McMeekin's approach in Stalin's War is both original and refreshing, written as it is with a wonderful clarity."-- "Antony Beevor, New York Times bestselling author"


"Sean McMeekin's new book fills a massive gap in the historiography of World War II. Based on exhaustive research in Russian and other archives, his examination of Stalin's foreign policy explores fresh avenues and explodes many myths."-- "Nikolai Tolstoy, author of Stalin's Secret War"


About the Author


Sean McMeekin is a professor of history at Bard College. His books have won numerous awards. In 2010, he won the Norman B. Tomlinson Jr. Book Prize for The Russian Origins of the First World War and in 2011 the Barbara Jelavich Book Prize for The Berlin-Baghdad Express. In 2015, he was the recipient of the Arthur Goodzeit Book Award for The Ottoman Endgame and in 2016 the Historian's Prize.


Kevin Stillwell is an actor, voice talent, and Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator. His film and television credits include Looper and Drop Dead Diva.