The author delves into WWII through the detailed stories of everyday people affected by the war. His stated objective was to show the true cost of war to ordinary people. He also tells lots of stories about mostly passed over pieces of the time. The Bengal famine, the war between the Soviet Union and the Finns, and he moves the story around both the pacific and Atlantic theaters of war. What I found most compelling was the sheer ineptitude of so many high-ranking staff on the Allied side. The war seems to have been won by 1. The willingness of the Russians to absorb monumental losses, German folly in thinking they could deal with that level of attrition on their Eastern Front, and the material wealth and ability of the United States to arm and build amazing amounts of armaments in a very short period of time. What sticks out is the capabilities of the German Army (not their air force nor their navy) and the level of disdain between British and American commanders. A long read, but well worth it, for the novice or the person who seems to have read everything written on the subject.