Only six decades ago the greatest war ever fought drew to a close a global conflict that many people still remember because they were part of it.

They can vividly recall what they went through and the dramatic events that unfolded across the globe. Their children and grandchildren hear the stories, see the movies, and are fascinated by what happened. World War II remains a source of unending fascination for us all.

This book chronicles that epic war in its many locations and in its many forms, from the exhausting heat of Burma’s jungle to the icy waters of the Arctic Convoys, and from the spectacular panzer thrusts of the blitzkrieg to the desperate hand-to-hand conquest of tiny islands in the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the book runs a continuous timeline, month by month identifying the events in each theatre of war, illustrated with more than 400 photographs and maps, as well as data tables, biographies of leaders and generals, and assessments of the armies, their weapons, and personnel.

In addition to the military history are sections on resistance in occupied countries, civilians at war, the Holocaust, and war crimes trials. Clear, concise, and painstakingly researched, it makes the ideal companion to major histories and other media, a quick and easy reference for experts and enthusiasts alike.