Anne Sharp Wells has been associate editor of the Journal of Military History, assistant editor of The Papers of George Catlett Marshall (volumes 6–7), and a Fellow of the Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library. Among her other publications is Historical Dictionary of World War II: The War Against Germany and Italy.

A fast-moving narrative and a handy volume of history.

• Part 1 PART ONE. MOBILIZING AND PLANNINGPart 2 READY OR NOT? 5Chapter 3 Military technology and tactical doctrine to 1941. Mobilization and strategic planning to 1941.Part 4 THE MILITARY AND THE HOME FRONT 16Chapter 5 Japanese-Americans. Conscription. Women. Industry. Labor. New weapons. Military medicine. Minorities. Military-civilian relations. German and Italian POWs. GI Bill of Rights.Part 6 THE TOP LEVELS 27Part 7 PART TWO. THE WAR AGAINST GERMANY AND ITALYChapter 8 High-command structure. Coalition planning. Anglo-American global strategy. Impact of intelligence.Part 9 AT SEA AND IN THE SKIES 43Chapter 10 Battle of the Atlantic, April 1941-May1945. Pointblank: Combined Bomber Offensive, January 1943-May 1945.Part 11 LEARNING FROM TORCH AND HUSKY 56Chapter 12 Torch and Tunisia, November 1942-May 1943. Sicily, July-August 1943.Part 13 THE HARD UNDERBELLY: ITALY 69Chapter 14 From Salerno to Rome, September 1943-June 1944. North Italy, June 1944-May 1945.Part 15 THE LIBERATION OF FRANCE AND BELGIUM 79Chapter 16 Overlord, June-August 1944. From Dragoon to Antwerp, August to September 1944.Part 17 THE WEST WALL AND THE BULGE 92Chapter 18 Advancing to the West Wall, September-December 1944. Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945.Part 19 FROM THE RHINE TO THE ELBE 103Chapter 20 Crossing the Rhine, January-March 1945. From the Ruhr to the Elbe, March-May 1945.Part 21 PART THREE. THE WAR AGAINST JAPANPart 22 EARLY PACIFIC DEFEATS AND TURNING POINTS 115Chapter 23 From Pearl Harbor to Midway, December 1941-June 1942. Guadalcanal and Papua, July 1942-February 1943.Part 24 ACCELERATING OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS 128Chapter 25 Cartwheel, June 1943-March 1944. Gilberts and Marshalls, November 1943-February 1944. Netherlands New Guinea and Morotai, April-October 1944.Part 26 FROM SAIPAN TO BURMA 141Chapter 27 Marianas, June-August 1944. Palaus, September-November 1944. China-Burma-India Theater, March 1942-August 1945.Part 28 MACARTHUR'S FINAL CAMPAIGNS 155Chapter 29 Central and Northern Philippines, October 1944-August 1945. Southern Philippines and Borneo, February-July 1945.Part 30 CLIMAX IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC 168Chapter 31 Iwo Jima, February-March 1945. Okinawa, April-June 1945.Part 32 AVENUES TO SURRENDER 179Chapter 33 Submarine operations. B-29 offensive and the atomic bombs, June 1944-August 1945. Olympic and Coronet plans for invading Japan, November 1944-August 1945.Part 34 PART FOUR. OVERVIEWPart 35 TRIBULATIONS OF THE GI 191Chapter 36 Common reactions. Overhead. Officer alienation. Terrain and climate. Military medicine. Adjusting to foreign lands. African Americans. Women. POWs.Part 37 THE WAR IN RETROSPECT 201Chapter 38 Consequences for the U.S. home front and military establishment. Global ramifications.Part 39 A Note on Sources 208Part 40 Index 217