Triumph and Tragedy

Churchill's six volume history of World War II-- the definitive work, remarkable both for its sweep and its sense of personal involvement, universally acknowledged as a magnificent historical reconstruction and an enduring work of literature. V. 1. The step-by-step decline into war, with Churchill becoming prime minister as "the tocsin was about to sound". V. 2. The eight uneasy, dangerous months from May to December 1940, as Britain stands isolated and Germany follows its war path. V. 3. The momentous year 1941: the Bismarck is sunk, Hitler marches on Russia, Japan strikes Pearl Harbor, and the Grand Alliance is formed. V. 4. From uninterrupted defeat to almost unbroken success: a year when Rommel is gradually thrown back in North Africa, and in the Pacific the tide turns. V. 5. The drive to victory between June 1943 and July 1944, as the Allies consolidate their achievements, with enormous difficulty and great divergence of opinion. V. 6. From Anglo-American landings in Normandy in June 1944 to the unconditional surrender of Japan in September 1945.