Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945

I've read Churchill's The Second World War twice. It is a fantastic read, one that only someone with Churchill's position and perspective could have pulled off. 

I've also become aware of how biased The Second World War is, precisely because it's written from Churchill's position and perspective. The Second World War skips or over simplifies events where didn't have Churchill's direct involvement-- Finland, the Germany's invasion of Russia, the inner workings of Germany and Russia, or events that didn't cast Britain in the best light. 

Inferno is much more comprehensive. It's also much more gruesome. It includes details from those on the front lines. It also talks through the politics and economies of Germany and Russian and how the impacted the war. 

Germany's army was much much better than Russia's, yet Russia had a seemingly inexhaustible number of soldiers to send to battle. Every Russian solder that was gunned down by a German, consumed munitions, gas and food that Germany was running out of. A German General called it "Winning ourselves to death."

While British ruled many colonies in the South Pacific. It did not have a warm relationship with them. The citizens of those colonies did not love Britain. The end result, when Japan invaded, (Burma, Indonesia and Malaysia for example) the locals were happy to see Britain go. They never put effort into fighting back in Japan. 

"One of the most important truths about the war, as indeed about all human affairs, is that people can only interpret what happens to them only in the context of their own circumstances." 

"Fighting and death everywhere and now I am also wounded. China is limitless and we are like drops of water in an ocean. There is no purpose to this war. I shall never see home again."-- note from a despairing Japanese soldier. 

"I can only suggest the three things that are, at any rate, worth of investigation. First, a tendency amongst Englishmen to regard themselves as naturally superior in every way to any colored race, without taking steps to ensure this is always a fact. Secondly, a failure to develop a sympathetic understanding with the Burmese... Thirdly, the fact the the majority of the non-official Englishmen in Burma were more concerned with making money than benefiting the native population."