A History of the Second World War in 100 Maps

The First World War was marked by an exceptional expansion in the use and production of military cartography. But World War II took things even further, employing maps, charts, reconnaissance, and the systematic recording and processing of geographical and topographical information on an unprecedented scale. As Jeremy Black--one of the world's leading military and cartographic historians--convincingly shows in this lavish full-color book, it is impossible to understand the events and outcomes of the Second World War without deep reference to mapping at all levels. In World War II, maps themselves became the weapons.

A History of the Second World War in 100 Maps traces how military cartography developed from simply recording and reflecting history to having a decisive impact on events of a global scale. Drawing on one hundred key maps from the unparalleled collections of the British Library and other sources--many of which have never been published in book form before--Jeremy Black takes us from the prewar mapping programs undertaken by both Germany and the United Kingdom in the mid-1930s through the conflict's end a decade later. Black shows how the development of maps led directly to the planning of the complex and fluid maneuvers that defined the European theater in World War II: for example, aerial reconnaissance photography allowed for the charting of beach gradients and ocean depths in the runup to the D-Day landings, and the subsequent troop movements at Normandy would have been impossible without the help of situation maps and photos. In the course of the conflict, both in Europe and the Pacific, the realities of climate, terrain, and logistics--recorded on maps--overcame the Axis powers. Maps also became propaganda tools as the pages of Time outlined the directions of the campaigns and the Allies dropped maps from their aircraft.
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In this thrilling and unique book, Jeremy Black blends his singular cartographic and military expertise into a captivating overview of World War II from the air, sea, and sky, making clear how fundamental maps were to every aspect of this unforgettable global conflict.
"Assembled by the same team responsible for A History of America in 100 Maps by Susan Schulten, this book offers a selection of 100 maps, all presented in full color, that shaped the course of World War II. Alongside the maps, historian Jeremy Black offers context and explanations drawing on his long career thinking about war and maps. World War II was a uniquely difficult war to map: it was fought across an unprecedented geographical range, through the air as well as by land and sea, and at a faster tempo than any previous conflict. Creating maps for the military to use as tools, as well as for governments and others to use in spreading their messages about the war, presented new challenges to mapmakers. But the development of new technologies such as aerial photography and all-weather instrument flying aided their efforts, and the scale of map production during the war was astonishing. The maps in this book are drawn from the British Library's collections as well as other sources across the world and organized thematically. In addition to military operations, tactics, and strategy on all sides, the maps illustrate the geopolitical context for war as well as reporting and propaganda efforts by the Allies and the Axis countries during and after the war"--
Jeremy Black is professor of history at the University of Exeter and the author of more than one hundred and forty books.
"In this thrilling and unique book, Jeremy Black blends his singular cartographic and military expertise into a captivating overview of World War II from the air, sea, and sky, making clear how fundamental maps were to every aspect of this unforgettable global conflict."--Charles Coutinho "New Books Network"
"A spectacular reference source for high school, university, and public libraries. . . . This scrupulous survey of early-1940s to mid-1950s cartography offers a full study of the war through posters and photos of communication lines, waterways, and troop movements, with text from government and media sources."--Donna Seaman "Booklist, 2020 Editor's Choice in History"