Forgotten Battles of World War II: A chronological survey of the 21 most significant but often overlooked battles that shaped the outcome of the war Paperback – April 2, 2024

An excellent, well researched and well written book. Most of these so-called 21 forgotten battles I had never heard of or if I had only peripherally. The battle for the Aleutian Islands was one and I still don’t ascribe much importance to that one. However the Dragoon Landing, the invasion of Europe from the south coast of France, a couple of months after D-Day was new to me and a fascinating and consequential factor in the war.Another example, the battle of Bryansk, a few hundred miles from Moscow, apparently slowed the Nazis just enough so they could not get to and take Moscow before the fierce Russian winter of 1941 set in. If they had managed to take Moscow the war might have turned out differently. Just another eye opener this book provided and there were several more. So all in all a very informative and enjoyable read.

The book was well-written and well-researched, making it worth reading about battles we never knew existed.

This book goes into details about battles that are almost forgotten today. Well written and informative. Would like to see some maps of the areas described.

I have to admit that I am bias towards hearing about true untold or forgotten stories as they were so important in history but not documented or recognized. You can tell this author did some extensive research, and is able to bring to life important parts of our history not told.

I looked forward to reading this book. As an avid reader of World War II books, the title seemed intriguing. Having finished reading it, I have to say that I was disappointed.While many of the 21 battles included have indeed been overlooked by historians, that is not true in every case. The Aleutian Islands campaign is covered in nearly every account of the Battle of Midway, since the Japanese invasion of the Aleutians was never more than a feint to get Admiral Nimitz to divide his limited forces and lure them away from Midway. Because we had broken the Japanese naval code, we knew what Japanese intentions were and we let them invade the islands, knowing there was little danger from that direction. Given weather conditions in the Aleutians, they could never serve as major bases for us or for the Japanese.Another puzzling inclusion in this book is the Battle of Leyte Gulf. A quick search on Amazon shows 209 books on this huge battle or some part of it. That doesn't sound to me like historians have ignored Leyte Gulf; rather, it's probably one of the most heavily covered topics in the Pacific theater. One of the author's statements in this chapter is rather amusing, since it is not placed in context. On page 164, the author states that the Japanese lost only slightly more planes than the Americans did at Leyte. There is a very good reason for that -- through attrition, most notably in the Marianas campaign, the Navy had whittled down Japanese air strength to almost nothing. They had fewer planes -- and even fewer trained pilots -- to lose than we did.One strange statement by the author, made twice, is in reference to "several destroyer-class battleships," on page 65 (with reference to the Japanese) and again on page 91 (in reference to the Germans). There never was a "destroyer-class battleship." Destroyers were smaller ships, generally between 1,600 and 2,200 tons, whereas battleships were between 25,000 and 45,000 tons. The author specifically mentions HMS Duncan in this regard; an internet search tells me that HMS Duncan was one of a class of six British pre-Dreadnought battleships commissioned in 1903-04, displacing nearly 14,000 tons each. By the standards of more modern battleships, these were indeed small vessels, but still at least seven times larger than the typical destroyer of the 1940s. If the author meant something else by "destroyer-class battleships," it's not explained.Each chapter in this book is 8-10 pages; my personal feeling is that he should have narrowed the 21 down to about half that and given the remaining topics more in-depth coverage instead of covering all 21 in superficial fashion. Maps would also have been a welcome addition. As I said above, this isn't a bad book, but if the reader is expecting to learn much about those "often overlooked battles," he/she will have to look elsewhere. Each chapter ends with a brief list of sources with more information, and that might be appreciated if any of these chapters pique your interest.

This book sheds light on lesser-known but significant battles that really help you understand the full scope of this long and deadly conflict. I learned some surprising facts, like how the Finns joined the Nazis in their invasion of the Soviet Union as revenge for the Soviet attack on Finland. I also didn’t know that the Molotov cocktail played a key role in helping the small Finnish army fend off the Soviet invasion or that the Battle of Bryansk likely prevented the Nazis from capturing Moscow. It’s a great read, and I highly recommend it!

In addition to its well-researched content, the book includes helpful maps and illustrations that aid in visualizing the battles and understanding their geographical and strategic significance. These visual aids complement the text and enhance the reader’s comprehension of the events being described.

Good selection of battles, but they are by no means forgotten or unknown. Maybe only for those who are new to the subject of WWII. I would also have liked to see maps of the battles; with them, the material would be much more informative.

An informative survey of some of the lesser known battles of the Second World War. The author presents a useful corrective here to the standard narrative of the war that places too great an emphasis on the Allied invasion of France with the D-Day landings, though he does remind us of the Dragoon landings that followed in southern France two months after the Normandy landings and which are bizarrely forgotten about today. Though the focus is on individual battles and military engagements, there is a strong narrative thread running through the book, one that connects the chapters and argues that the war was ultimately decided on the Eastern Front in Europe and that the Chinese front is too often overlooked. A good book overall, written in a clear style.

Enjoyed reading this book. Very good writing and research. Easy to read. Recommended.