[Book]: New Release – Cry Havoc, How the Arms Race Drove the World to War 1931-1941 by Joseph Maiolo
Description:
Did the arms race of the 1930s cause the Second World War?
In Cry Havoc, historian Joseph Maiolo shows, in rich and fascinating detail, how the deadly game of the arms race was played out in the decade prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. In this exhaustively researched account, he explores how nations reacted to the moves of their rivals, revealing the thinking of those making the key decisions—Hitler, Mussolini, Chamberlain, Stalin, Roosevelt—and the dilemmas of democratic leaders who seemed to be faced with a choice between defending their nations and preserving their democratic way of life.
An unparalleled account of an era of extreme political tension, Cry Havoc shows how the interwar arms race shaped the outcome of World War II before the shooting even began.
Hailed as “provocative” by Kirkus Reviews and “thoroughly researched” by Publishers Weekly, CRY HAVOC reveals that the outcome of World War II may have been decided long before the bombing ever began. In the first truly global history of the interwar arms race, Maiolo exposes the arms race as an underlying dynamic that shaped the steady march toward war, narrating a drama of power plays and political intrigue heightened by the constraints of time.
This groundbreaking new analysis proves a powerful reminder of the devastation that is a natural outgrowth of large-scale armament strategies – and provides an apt and timely contribution to the discussion on contemporary military spending.
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“A compelling read…. Maiolo’s skill rests in his ability to distil complex, and at times technical subjects, into very readable prose…. [A] thorough examination of a neglected aspect of the cause of the Second World War.”
— History Today
“Joe Maiolo’s beautifully written book about the arms race is a… narrative awash with trenchant insights and profound observations. This superb, multilateral analysis of the interplay between key leaders of the different states is based on an exhaustive use of sources from Britain, the US, France, Italy, Germany, the USSR and Japan – and Joe Maiolo reads all these languages, except for Russian. The language flows so smoothly and the words are so judiciously chosen that this is a riveting read…”
— The Royal United Services Institution Journal
“Joe Maiolo has taken one of the most studied periods in international history and managed to find a completely new angle, not by denying the role of the national leaders but by stressing the remorseless logic of rearmament and military mobilization in shaping their choices.”
— Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman
Look for the review by World War II History in the coming weeks.
