Reviews for War summits : the meetings that shaped World War II and the postwar world
Choice
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
In this chronological account of the meetings during WW II of the leaders of Great Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union, Stone is convinced that "the process of meetings and conferences which together comprised the war summits was without precedent, and it remains unique in the history of warfare and of international grand strategy and politics." The author describes the war aims and postwar plans of Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin and provides as background some details of the military situation and preparations for conferences by subordinates. Though his work is based on secondary sources and presents no scholarly breakthroughs, Stone presents some shrewd observations and interpretations. As a former British army officer with practical experience in high-level planning, the author is good at explaining the war fronts and their strategic implications for the Big Three. Clearly written, this work is a useful outline for anyone interested in its subject. Students and general readers will find it a cogent introduction to wartime diplomacy; scholars will discover amusing anecdotes to sprinkle into lectures. The endnotes, often lengthy, generally elucidate the text rather than reveal sources. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. M. Swartz University of Massachusetts at Amherst
