1942: The Crux of War by Jonathan Parshall et al.

[pinehilljoe]

I like Parshall as an author, podcaster, and lecturer, and I'm halfway through his new book. At the start, it reads almost like listening to one of his podcasts, which is fine with me. Then it turns into more of a history book. He dives deep into the fall of Singapore and the Philippines, which is no surprise given his love of the Far East. I found both subjects very interesting. With respect to Germany, his approach is like Paul Kennedy's The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers. He argues that many of Germany's moves were transactional driven by economics, even to the point of suggesting that the Holocaust was driven by shortages of food and clothing.

It's a good book, IMHO.

 

[tomo pauk]

He argues that many of Germany's moves were transactional driven by economics, even to the point of suggesting that the Holocaust was driven by shortages of food and clothing.

(my bold)
Come again?

 

[pinehilljoe]

(my bold)
Come again?

I almost didn't add that to my review, suggest you read the book and draw your own conclusion. Ideology obviously was big part, but he states the desire to stop housing , and feeding millions helped the German economy. A very very cold view.

moderators if its too sensitive, feel free to delete the entire thread.

 

[talbot]

I picked up the book a little while ago but haven't started it yet, though I'm very looking forward to reading it when I have some down time
I'm now intrigued for reading the Germany parts, that seems a very high level view. I'm sure there were elements of being transactional at a macro level, but clearly a lot more to it than that

I'm a fan of Jon and I plan on re-reading Shattered Sword soon

A bit of a tangent, the Unauthorized History of the Pacific is one of my favorite podcasts with him and Seth Paridon (and Bill Toti who's stepped away for a bit)
I've pre-ordered Seth's and Bill's book the Killing Sea. Great guys who are clearly very accomplished historians and do an amazing job of covering the Pacific War

 

[pinehilljoe]

I picked up the book a little while ago but haven't started it yet, though I'm very looking forward to reading it when I have some down time
I'm now intrigued for reading the Germany parts, that seems a very high level view. I'm sure there were elements of being transactional at a macro level, but clearly a lot more to it than that

I'm a fan of Jon and I plan on re-reading Shattered Sword soon

A bit of a tangent, the Unauthorized History of the Pacific is one of my favorite podcasts with him and Seth Paridon (and Bill Toti who's stepped away for a bit)
I've pre-ordered Seth's and Bill's book the Killing Sea. Great guys who are clearly very accomplished historians and do an amazing job of covering the Pacific War

I enjoy those youtube videos also. The book starts like its another webcast to me. I'm listening to the audio version of the book.

 

[R Leonard]

Finished reading 1942; The Crux of War within about week of its debut. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Typically, Jon's writing is compelling and in a style that makes it seem more like having a conversation than a dry recitation of facts and statistics, hard to put down.

 

[tomo pauk]

I almost didn't add that to my review, suggest you read the book and draw your own conclusion. Ideology obviously was big part, but he states the desire to stop housing , and feeding millions helped the German economy. A very very cold view.

Thank you.
It is indeed a very, very cold view, and I'm not sure I want to support that with my money.

 

[Nick Beale]

Thank you.
It is indeed a very, very cold view, and I'm not sure I want to support that with my money.

My reading of the book was that he was pointing out the coldness of the perpetrators toward other human beings. He has no hesitation throughout in calling murder murder. He is equally forthright about Japanese atrocities.

 

[tomo pauk]

My reading of the book was that he was pointing out the coldness of the perpetrators toward other human beings. He has no hesitation throughout in calling murder murder. He is equally forthright about Japanese atrocities.

Many thanks.

 

[z42]

I like Parshall as an author, podcaster, and lecturer, and I'm halfway through his new book. At the start, it reads almost like listening to one of his podcasts, which is fine with me. Then it turns into more of a history book. He dives deep into the fall of Singapore and the Philippines, which is no surprise given his love of the Far East. I found both subjects very interesting. With respect to Germany, his approach is like Paul Kennedy's The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers. He argues that many of Germany's moves were transactional driven by economics, even to the point of suggesting that the Holocaust was driven by shortages of food and clothing.

It's a good book, IMHO.

I haven't read the book but I very much like Parshall's lectures and appearance on podcasts. While I very much would like to read this book, my books-to-be-read pile is already large and ever-growing so I'm not sure when I'll get to it (SEND HELP PLEASE!).

As for the above statement on the reasons behind the Holocaust, again I haven't read the book yet, but from Parshall's other appearances I have the impression he definitely recognizes that the war was a humanitarian tragedy on a grand scale, and that he doesn't harbor any warm feelings for mass murder.

That being said, to the extent the above is an accurate description of the book, I disagree. The Holocaust was driven by hate. From that ideology then developed the ideas of 'Lebensraum' and the hunger plan, where, yes, the idea was to make space for the master race by starving or working to death the existing population in the target areas in the east. So in that aspect there was certainly an economic aspect of the plan, but saying the economic justification came first is inverting cause and effect.