This is another guy who can really write. This is a topic we've read so much about - but new sources are available, this writer uses them, and can keep the story arcs moving along in a really interesting way.
Part 1 of a trilogy, I'm looking forward to further reading.
One source - a diary kept by the indiscreet Italian leader - it was dangerously frank and thus useful to historians led to a bad outcome for him.
Author is really effective at weaving primary sources into the larger narrative - constant movement from macro to micro works so well.
Working through the early years of the war - author has paid a lot of attention to resource and supply issues - crucial but I don't think I've ever seen this much detail. Nazi Germany makes great territorial advances at incredible speed - lots of London bombing and shipping harassment - but at great cost of resources and without actually winning the "Battle of Britain" or the "Battle of the Atlantic". Meaning great work remained to be done, with diminished resource base.
And specter of US resources available to Britain.
Italian ally as mostly a problem - required resources rather than reduced the need for them.
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