Moral Combat: Good and Evil in World War II

"Magnificent. . . . Seldom has a study of the past combined such erudition with such exuberance." —The Guardian 

"No-one with an interest in the Second World War should be without this book; and indeed nor should anyone who cares about how our world has come about." —The Daily Telegraph 

Pre-eminent WWII historian Michael Burleigh delivers a brilliant new examination of the day-to-day moral crises underpinning the momentous conflicts of the Second World War. A magisterial counterpart to his award-winning and internationally bestselling The Third Reich, winner of the Samuel Johnson prize, Moral Combat offers a unique and riveting look at, in the words of The Times (London), "not just the war planners faced with the prospect of bombing Dresden or the atrocities of the Holocaust, but also the individuals working at the coalface of war, killing or murdering, resisting or collaborating."

In this sweepingly ambitious overview of WorldWar II, Michael Burleigh combines meticulousscholarship with a remarkable depth of knowledgeand an astonishing scope. By exploring themoral sentiments of entire societies and their leaders,and how such attitudes changed under the impact oftotal war, Burleigh presents readers with a fresh andpowerful perspective on a conflict that continuesto shape world politics. Whereas previous historiesof the war have tended to focus on grand strategyor major battles, Burleigh brings his painstakingscholarship and profound sensibility to bear on thefactors that shaped choices that were life-and-deathdecisions. These choices were made in real time,without the benefit of a philosopher’s reflection,giving a moral content to the war that shaped it asdecisively as any battle.

Although the Nazis and the Japanese had radicallydifferent moral universes from those of theirAllied opponents, as rejected in the atrocities theycommitted, the Western Allies found themselvesaligned with a no less cruel dictatorship after rejectingthe option of appeasing aggression. The warwas the sum total of myriad choices made by governments,communities, and individuals, leadingsome to enthusiastically embrace evil and othersto consciously reject it, with a range of more ambiguouslyhuman responses in between. Spanningboth major theaters and ranging across these issuesand more, from the “predators” (Mussolini, Hitler,and Hirohito) to appeasement, from the rape ofPoland, Barbarossa, and strategic bombing to thecomplexities of justice and retribution, Moral Combatsheds a revealing light on how entire nationschanged under the shock of total war.

Emphasizing the role of the past in making senseof the present, Burleigh’s book offers essentialinsights into the choices we face today—in some circles it is always 1938 and every aggressor is a newHitler. If we do go to war, we need to know whatit will mean for the individuals who command and fight it. Original, perceptive, and astonishing inscholarship and scope, this is an unforgettable andhugely important work of Second World War history.

“A bold, blunt, and sometimes beautiful defense of morality in history . . . . Mr. Burleigh poses the moral questions to the people that mattered at the great turning points of a vast war.” - Timothy Snyder, The Wall Street Journal

“Burleigh serves up an array of new interpretations which is not simply a new overview of the war, but rather an examination of the prevailing moral sentiments of entire societies and their leaderships.” - The Tucson Citizen

“Chilling. . . . A deeply researched and vividly written book.” - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Michael Burleigh has long been one of our foremost writers on the importance of ethics in history, and in this deeply researched, closely argued and well-written analysis of the moral issues thrown up by the Second World War he has reached the zenith of his career.” - Andrew Roberts, National Review

“Burleigh has written a powerful, gripping book that will be essential reading for an understanding of World War II. It is worthy of anyone’s attention who is interested in that war.” - The Washington Times

“This is a superb work of scholarship with fresh insights on nearly every page that will likely leave the reader asking hard and troubling questions long after finishing it. . . . An exceptionally important book.” - The Christian Science Monitor