This wide-ranging, fresh perspective on the political and social landscape that gave rise to World War II delivers a moving indictment of the treasured myths that have romanticized much of the 1930s and 1940s. Incorporating meticulous research and well-documented sources--including newspaper and magazine articles, radio speeches, memoirs, and diaries--the book juxtaposes hundreds of interrelated moments of decision, brutality, suffering, and mercy....