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Richard Holmes
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The World at War: The Landmark Oral History Hardcover – October 4, 2007

by Richard Holmes (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 47 ratings
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The world at war : the definitive oral history of the Second World War / Richard Holmes
The world at war : the definitive oral history of the Second World War / Richard Holmes
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The World at War is the definitive television work on the Second World War. It told the story of the war through the testimony of key participants—from civilians to ordinary soldiers, from statesmen to generals. First broadcast in 1973, the result was a unique and irreplaceable record since many of the eyewitnesses captured on film did not have long to live. The program’s producers committed hundreds of interview-hours to tape in its creation, but only a fraction of that recorded material made it to the final cut. For more than 30 years the interviews have never been allowed to be published—until now. 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). Richard Holmes has skillfully woven this valuable original material into a compelling narrative, creating a truly phenomenal oral history of the Second World War.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    672 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Ebury Press
  4. Publication date
    October 4, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0091917514
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0091917517
  8. See all details
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About the Author

Richard Holmes is a British soldier and noted military historian. His books include In the Footsteps of Churchill, Sahib, and Tommy.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ebury Press; 0 edition (October 4, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 672 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0091917514
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0091917517
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.22 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 47 ratings

About the author

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Richard Holmes

Richard Holmes

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Richard Holmes was one of Britain's most distinguished and eminent military historians and broadcasters. For many years Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University and the Royal Military College of Science, he also taught military history at Sandhurst. He was the author of many best-selling and widely acclaimed books including Redcoat, Tommy, Marlborough and Wellington, and famous for his BBC series such as War Walks, In the Footsteps of Churchill and Wellington. He served in the Territorial Army, retiring as a brigadier and Britain's most senior reservist, and was Colonel of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment from 1999 to 2007. Richard Holmes died suddenly in April 2011 from pneumonia. He had been suffering from non-Hodgkins' Lymphoma.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
47 global ratings
Over 200 interviews, topics vary wildly
4 Stars
Over 200 interviews, topics vary wildly
With over 200 interviews from civilians, soldiers and politicians, this is a look at the Second World War on many levels. Topics vary widely depending on one's position in life. Big names are Karl Donitz, General Doolittle, Sir Anthony Eden, Averell Harriman, General Manteuffel and Lord Mountbatten. Ordinary citizens also tell what they saw, what they thought and what they felt. The soldier preparing for combat, a civilian witnessing a bombing, a general defending his treatment of prisoners, these are topics that may interest or bore readers. This book may have achieved acclaim partly because it was based on the transcripts of interviews made for The World At War. This was a highly popular British 26 hour commercial television series in 1974. The book came out in 2007 for a new generation. If you find the book overrated, check out the original television program.
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Top reviews from the United States

Herr Schenk
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read and an important document
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
A great read and an important document. This is the war not just from the perspective of historians, admirals and generals. It's the narratives of those who fought in the trenches, the skies and on the seas. It was a brilliant idea and important contribution to release the other 98% of the interviews compiled for this landmark documentary, and especially relevant now that all but a few of these warriors has passed. It often reads like a can't-put-down thriller, at least for those of us fascinated by and still eager to learn from history.
2 people found this helpful
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Piano Cat
4.0 out of 5 stars Over 200 interviews, topics vary wildly
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2019
With over 200 interviews from civilians, soldiers and politicians, this is a look at the Second World War on many levels. Topics vary widely depending on one's position in life. Big names are Karl Donitz, General Doolittle, Sir Anthony Eden, Averell Harriman, General Manteuffel and Lord Mountbatten. Ordinary citizens also tell what they saw, what they thought and what they felt. The soldier preparing for combat, a civilian witnessing a bombing, a general defending his treatment of prisoners, these are topics that may interest or bore readers. This book may have achieved acclaim partly because it was based on the transcripts of interviews made for The World At War. This was a highly popular British 26 hour commercial television series in 1974. The book came out in 2007 for a new generation. If you find the book overrated, check out the original television program.
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Piano Cat
4.0 out of 5 stars Over 200 interviews, topics vary wildly
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2019
With over 200 interviews from civilians, soldiers and politicians, this is a look at the Second World War on many levels. Topics vary widely depending on one's position in life. Big names are Karl Donitz, General Doolittle, Sir Anthony Eden, Averell Harriman, General Manteuffel and Lord Mountbatten. Ordinary citizens also tell what they saw, what they thought and what they felt. The soldier preparing for combat, a civilian witnessing a bombing, a general defending his treatment of prisoners, these are topics that may interest or bore readers. This book may have achieved acclaim partly because it was based on the transcripts of interviews made for The World At War. This was a highly popular British 26 hour commercial television series in 1974. The book came out in 2007 for a new generation. If you find the book overrated, check out the original television program.
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HeYyOuGuYs
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely human viewpoint of history
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2018
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I was blown away by this book. The interviewees are from every side of the war, soldiers, generals, civilians. It gave the most well rounded understanding of the war and what lead up to it. Heartbreaking and horrifying, I strongly recommend it.
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Steven J. Satak
3.0 out of 5 stars Worth Adding to Your Collection, But Definitely a Minor Work...
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2021
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I purchased this book used. I have read Stud's Terkel's 'The Good War', and I have read Ken Burns' "The War". This book has been carefully pieced together from the leavings of the 1973 documentary, and though the Professor tries very hard, they are not all topical.

I am accustomed to tighter writing, more pertinent quotes and interviews. Some of that is here, and some of it was very tenuously connected to the chapter title. I think part of the problem is that in 1969, they did not know what questions to ask. The interviewers did not know the extent to which WWII, a fundamental reality in their lives, would be forgotten, and thus did not know what kinds of information would be lost in the passing years.

I think in the end, this book communicates - though not as clearly - what Terkel and Burn's work did - that the people who fought, bled and sometimes died in this war were just like us. And that it could happen again. And that we should have respect for the lives they never had, the children they never raised, and walk a little taller and with our shoulders back. They paid for that. But at the same time, we should try to make ourselves ready on a daily basis, if we can, to be the kind of people who could bear a fraction of the burden they bore.
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Mr. John S. Wood
5.0 out of 5 stars Richard Holmes does it - again
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2014
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Well in keeping with the rest of his publications. I am going to add a new shelf in the bookcase just for him!
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Manly Reading
5.0 out of 5 stars The World at War, told by those who were there
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2010
The World at War is a lot more than the book of a 1970's TV series. Back then, The World at War was groundbreaking TV, epic in every sense. This book is a collection of much of the raw material that did not see the light of day back then, plus the best of the TV series, all assembled and introduced by Richard Holmes. It is a significant work on WWII, and as much a significant work on the Cold War in Europe.

The book is a series of recollections in oral interview by statesmen, politicans, admirals, generals, soldiers of all ranks, and civilians. Due to the Cold War, there is very little from the Soviet side, and accordingly little coverage of the Eastern front at all. This is very much the World at War, from the Western point of view. There are former Nazis, a ex-British PM, the Japanese Lord Privy Seal, and a few "Western" officials who were spies for Sovet Russia. The result is generally high level, with the occasional swoop in to a particular battle or event. It is superb in conveying the "feel" of the second world war without becoming bogged down in detail.

The section on the Holocaust is of course chilling.

The book does not end on V-J Day, but considers - or rather features interviews considering - the end of WWII in Europe, Poland, and the Iron Curtain. This is as valuable a short study on the Cold War as you can find in an accessable text, and Holmes considers that really the Cold War was a continuation of sorts of WWII, and that the roots of that conflict can be traced back to 1848 or even earlier.

Provocative and thoughtful, heartening and saddening, this is a truly excellent work of history - and the knowledge that those original TV Archives may now be opened to other researchers offers hope that perhaps some lessons of history may not be forgotten.
5 people found this helpful
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Ray Smith
1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2012
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While the film World At War was an epic masterpiece, this book is no more than a collection of interviews seemingly at random, with no continuity to the events of WWII.

The Kindle "Sample" of this book was severely lacking in describing the content for which I paid far more than it was worth!

I rated this work one star because there was nothing lower.
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Kevon Huntley
4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy print follow-up to the Legendary TV Series
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2007
Holmes does a fine job compiling interviews from most of the World At War personalities that appeared on the TV Series. There are lots of expanded insights here that were cut from the production. I would love to see much of this archived footage at the Imperial War Museum available on video at some point. The only complaint here is that the proof reading could have been much better. Lots of print errors in this book.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Sandman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great addition to the series.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
The World at War TV series rightly has legendary status with any WW2 buff. This book expands on the interviews and is well worth a read.
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David R Jackson
4.0 out of 5 stars good price & as described
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2015
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Prompt delivery, good price & as described...
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Cameron Cullen
5.0 out of 5 stars Useful expansion of the landmark TV series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
The interviews made for the TV series were cut down. An hour of material might be condensed into excerpts. Here the full text allows us to appreciate nuances missing in the cutdown versions. It's an underrated book and deserves much more appraisal and interest. Essential for both historians and straightforward for the casual reader.
One person found this helpful
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Tony Baydreamer
3.0 out of 5 stars Say have rays of making you talk.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 3, 2015
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Hmm, yes, the author wants us to read the full interviews taken prior to condensing them for the brilliant telly series, and yes he does admit to recording verbatim, but at times the interviewee's poor diction or lack of English grammar makes for difficult reading.
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Keith
5.0 out of 5 stars I think it was worth reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
Just finished the first read. When I first saw how it was put together I wasn't expecting even to finish it, but I was wrong: It does give a good explanation. I doubt anyone would dispute it was the worst war ever and has affected everything and everyone, so it must be worth knowing what those who were there thought about it.
One person found this helpful
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