One of the things about Hastings’ historical work that is so delightful is that even if one is familiar with much of the narrative of the events he will often bring new detail or insight to the discussion. Naturally, however the discussion of the war’s final campaigns are more cursory here given Hastings’ other writings. So there is greater consideration here of, for example, the invasion of Poland, the war in the Mediterranean, the major naval campaigns such as the Battle of the Atlantic and the Arctic Convoys, and amongst the most chilling chapters, a discussion on the war in the Balkans. This book fills some of the gaps in the history of the war not covered by his more detailed studies (Overlord on the battle for Normandy Armageddon on the last year of the war in Europe Nemesis on the last year of the war in the Pacific Warlord, his study of Churchill’s war leadership and Bomber Command). With this book, Max Hastings the historian has completed a body of work on the Second World War comparable to Shelby Foote’s magisterial history of the American Civil War. Then there is the historian, who comes across as a wholly different sort of beast, his historical work pervaded with a great sense of humanity and of the pity of war. There is the curmudgeonly right-wing journalist, scion of the Establishment and apologist for the British military.

Max Hastings presents the world with two personae.

All hell let loose by max hastings