Scorched Earth

“If doubts remain that World War II was the most devastating conflict in human history, Scorched Earth dispels them. Even more, Paul Thomas Chamberlin challenges the basic notion of a struggle between good and evil. There is little good here except that this war of annihilation finally ended after taking its tremendous toll. And while historians have long identified World War II as a seminal influence on our contemporary era, none have effectively argued that colonialism in its varied versions was its ultimate legacy—until now. In previous work, Chamberlin contested Cold War realism; likewise, here he upends common assumptions about the Good War. He demythologizes in a way that eloquently covers this epic conflict in all its details—experts and war buffs will find a lot of battle descriptions that are fresh here—while provoking us to rethink our understanding of history itself. Truly a tour de force!”

“A well written, balanced, and provocative account of the twentieth century’s greatest and most destructive war. Paul Thomas Chamberlin covers all the major theaters of the war, smoothly integrating political and military developments. The author’s unorthodox interpretation of the Second World War will challenge historians to reexamine long-standing assumptions and beliefs about the origins and nature of this critical conflict.”