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From "Britain's finest military historian" comes a magisterial new history of World War II and the flawed axis strategy that led to their defeat. The Second World War lasted for 2,174 days, cost $1.5 trillion, and claimed over 50 million lives. What influenced the war's outcome? Why did the Axis lose? Could a different strategy have changed the result? This acclaimed history is hailed as the finest single-volume account of the conflict, covering the grand strategy and individual experiences, the cruelty and heroism, across various fronts. In crafting this vivid narrative, the author explored key battlefields and wartime sites in Russia, France, Italy, Germany, and the Far East. He utilized never-before-published documents, including a letter from Hitler's military operations director that explains the reasoning behind the decision to halt the Panzers outside Dunkirk, allowing British forces to evacuate. The author illuminates the principal actors on both sides and analyzes their critical decisions, while also sharing the stories of lesser-known individuals whose experiences reflect the extraordinary courage, self-sacrifice, and the terrible depravity of the war. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, this history offers a dramatic account of this momentous event and reveals in remarkable detail why the war unfolded as it did.