THE MYTHS OF WORLD WAR II

Twenty-one myths about World War II are explained and deconstructed by a group of historians and the editorial team of the magazine Guerres et Histoire, directed by Jean Lopez and Olivier Wieviorka.

The history of World War II seems familiar; yet in reality it is built largely on a number of misconceptions and myths that die hard among the general public. This series of essays is designed to appeal to a wide readership: written in a lively novelistic style, it makes the subject accessible to beginners. Yet on each topic, the authors provide new material, dispelling clichés, platitudes and misunderstandings. This out-of-the-ordinary work is as entertaining as it is innovative.

Table of contents:
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The 1940 defeat was inevitable
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The Waffen SS: elite soldiers
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The U-boats could turn the tide of the war
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The suicide bombers did not die in vain
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The French railway workers won the battle for France
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The German economy was strong, the Soviet economy weak
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The Cold War: a result of the division of the world decided in Yalta
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France contributed to the Allied victory
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World War II, men's work
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The American soldier can't fight
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Rommel was a great war leader
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The Soviets won because of their number
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Montgomery, an overestimated general
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Pearl Harbor: a great Japanese victory
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German super weapons could have changed everything
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War of the Pacific, a secondary theater
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Germany lost because of Hitler
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Japan surrendered because of Hiroshima
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The Allied bombing defeated Germany
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The Provence landing was useless

A team led by Jean Lopez (Les cent derniers jours d'Hitler) (The last hundred days of Hitler) (Perrin, 2015) and Olivier Wieviorka (Histoire de la Résistance) (History of the Resistance) (Perrin, 2013) bring together the contributions of leading experts on each subject: Maurice Vaïsse, Jean-Luc Leleu, Hubert Heyriès, Pierre-Emmanuel Brezet, Pierre-François Souyri, Sébastien Albertelli, François Kersaudy, Jean-François Muracciole, George-Henri Soutou, Fabrice Virgili, Nicolas Aubin, Claire Miot, Cédric Mas, Lasha Otkhmezuri, Pierre Grumberg, Benoist Bihan, Bruno Birolli, Patrick Facon, Vincent Arbaretier.