Groom, Winston. 1942; the year that tried men's souls.

GROOM, Winston. 1942; the year that tried men's souls. Grove. 459p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. c2005. 0-8021-4250-8. $15.00. A

A reliable and absorbing narrative of 1942, by the author of A Storm in Flanders, Forrest Gump, and Conversations with the Enemy (a book that was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize). The narrative is brisk and never falters. For much of 1942, the war went badly for the Allied forces. However, by the summer things began to tilt in favor of victory. In the Pacific, the Battle of Midway made possible all subsequent Allied victories in this theatre of war. The Nazi miscalculation in attacking the Soviet Union became ever clearer. In North Africa, the Battle of El Alamein, followed by the American invasion of North Africa in early November, rolled up Rommel's forces. The prospects of final victory on both fronts, by the end of 1942, were apparent. Churchill is quoted in the book (on p. vii) as saying "Now, this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

The book breaks no new scholarly ground on the subject. It's just an absorbing read. It will interest the reader in the wider narrative of the military history of WW II. It focuses on the crucial year of WW II, and by doing so provides the necessary keys to unlocking the larger story of the final Allied victory. Prof. John Rosser, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.