This compact gift book takes thirty of World War II's most significant clashes, both the famous and the lesser known, and presents their stories in a concise, easy-to-digest format, accompanied by beautiful Osprey artwork plates in full color that illustrate a key moment in each battle.

World War II was the single greatest conflict the world has ever known, fought in theaters all around the globe, and many of its battles--Stalingrad, Monte Cassino, the Battle of Britain--are household names. While the Western Front in Europe is often what first comes to mind, bitter and bloody battles were also fought in Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, on land, at sea, and in the air, and their many stories help illuminate both the scale and the varying character of the conflict.