This book deals with logistics and how important it was for the Allies to get their supplies where needed and to cut off the enemy supply routes. It is a fascinating account of the planning by accountant types and is not an oft seen part of the WWII histriography.

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"Just the facts ma'am, just the facts." could be Mr. Overy's motto. Many in general public assume the Allies winning WWII was all but a given. In reality the Allied were utterly unprepared for war in the late 1930's. Where the Axis had been planning and building for years. This highly detailed account describes the advantages and disadvantages of the Axis and Allies, both in men and material, at the start and then throughout the war. He has an unorthodox view regarding the true effects of the massive aerial bombings that cost so many lives on both sides. I highly recommend this book.

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Why the Allies Won views WW2 as a war that could have been lost by the âAlliesâ. By doing this the authors have given a more realistic view of WW2 versus what many Americans are taught and what many 21 century history buffs believe to be a predictable outcome. A fair warning though you will not find detailed war plans in this book you will however find all the information you need to see history from a broader perspective. There are many details about the politics and industry that go into fighting and wining a multi-front and multi-national war that was as complex as WW2 truly was.

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Published in 1995, this book, in many ways, is a revisionist view of World War II and how the Good Guys won it. As such, you may not agree with the author on everything. I know I didn't.

Some examples... Overy states, in a very short sentence or two, that Japan was going to surrender before we dropped the A-bomb. I disagree, as do many historians who know better than I. There are even sources which show the Japanese disagree. Look at how the military leaders even tried to overthrow the Emperor to prevent him from surrendering. And all you need to do is look at the carnage in Berlin from another power which faced extinction, but kept fighting. I think Overy keeps his statement short, knowing it would provoke outbursts from other historians.

Overy also believes too much in British General Montgomery's memoir of World War II. Montgomery writes the invasion plan for Normandy, France, was for the British to hold the German forces in the East, near Caen, while the Americans broke though in the West. This was proven a lie from Montgomery to explain why he didn't break through quickly to seize Caen and the ground beyond it. This is just a famous military post-conflict, "Oh, look. See. I planned this all the time." There is a very good reason Montgomery waited until Eisenhower was dead before publishing his memoir.

Overy also credits Montgomery with coming up with the idea for Operation Cobra, which finally broke the German line in France and allowed Allied forces to race across that country, destroying German divisions by the dozen. I believe Omar Bradley, whose idea it was, would lecture Overy strongly over this mistake.

Having said all that, this was a fascinating look at the many reasons the Allies won. I especially appreciated the long discussion on the value of the bombing campaign and the real reasons why it was a major assist to defeating Germany. Many other books disparage the bombing campaign as a waste of resources.

Finally, Overy exposes some of the major errors the Allies made which cost them heavily. As examples, the losses in the bombing campaign could have been greatly reduced if someone had thought much earlier of fitting disposable wing tanks on the fighters accompanying the bombers. And the RAF's refusal to lend more long range bombers for convey duty until 1943 resulted in a great loss of shipping and lives.

If you are a serious reader of WWII history, this book needs to be read. And while this review may seem long, it is short in comparison to the many reviews on Amazon.

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