Richard Overy's Oxford History of World War II works as a quick reference to the conflict as a whole. Readers should begin by asking what a book of that scale must omit. HMS Nubian's retaking of small islands in the Dodecanese is the example: that episode belongs in a ship-specific history, but it need not appear in a one-volume survey of the entire war. General reference works and focused naval studies answer different questions.
Notable Point · 7:00-8:50
Choosing a World War II reference work
Richard Overy's broad World War II history works as a quick reference, while its omissions show the limits of any single-volume survey.