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Reviews for the World at War
"The World At War was one of the greatest television series of all time. It demonstrated the potential power of history on television and inspired a generation - it certainly inspired me to make series like Nazis and Auschwitz. It is tremendously exciting that the complete interviews with the participants from The World at War are now published here for the first time. Most of the people who were interviewed for the series are now dead, but their vital history - thanks to this book - still lives" - Laurence Rees, author of Auschwitz
"Holmes has a sharp, knowing eye for anecdote and detail" - Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday
"What sets Richard Holmes apart is the sheer quality of his writing and his empathy with his subjects" - Independent
THE WORLD AT WAR BOOK
Previously unpublished interviews pulled together by historian Richard Holmes
The World at War
“When I was first invited to edit the archive of interview transcripts compiled when the series was made, there was a real sense of excitement and discovery as the door to the filing cabinet grunted open. It was immediately clear, as I flicked through the files, that there was far, far more material than was ever aired…I suspect that only about 10% of the interview material was ever broadcast.” - Richard Holmes Containing a huge number of previously unheard accounts, these raw and immediate testimonies really do offer a fresh insight into the Second World War. Some reveal facts we thought we knew to be falsehoods, others confirm what had previously been written off as myths and some nuggets establish intriguing, counter-intuitive lines of argument. Whilst many add significantly to our factual knowledge, the value of the anthology is also in its impressionistic quality – offering a uniquely personal, intimate account of such an inhuman conflict. Unparalleled in both scope and source material, and blending ground-breaking new facts with the most moving tales of personal suffering, tragedy and bravery, The World at War truly is a landmark publishing event. The well-known names interviewed for the series include Albert Speer, Karl Wolff (Himmler's adjutant), Traudl Junge (Hitler's secretary), James Stewart (USAAF bomber pilot and Hollywood star), Anthony Eden, John Colville (Parliamentary Private Secretary to Winston Churchill), Averell Harriman (US Ambassador to Russia) and Arthur 'Bomber' Harris (Head of RAF Bomber Command). Highly respected historian and bestselling author Richard Holmes has skilfully woven this valuable original material into a compelling narrative, creating a truly phenomenal oral history of the Second World War.
Reviews
"The World At War was one of the greatest television series of all time. It demonstrated the potential power of history on television and inspired a generation - it certainly inspired me to make series like Nazis and Auschwitz. It is tremendously exciting that the complete interviews with the participants from The World at War are now published here for the first time. Most of the people who were interviewed for the series are now dead, but their vital history - thanks to this book - still lives."
Laurence Rees
"In commissioning this oral history, Ebury Press has taken a visionary initiative. Richard Holmes has done a superb job of selection, and of organising the mass of material. On many topics he presents a broader and more nuanced account than did TV’s linear narrative. His book deserves a vast readership. I salute him. "
Jeremy Isaacs
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