1942: Crux of War

1942: Crux of War - Hardcover

$52.49
Sale price  $52.49 Regular price 
Skip to product information
1942: Crux of War

1942: Crux of War - Hardcover

$52.49
Sale price  $52.49 Regular price 
Shipping calculated at checkout.

by Jonathan Parshall (Author)

An engrossing and encyclopedic narrative of the year in which the outcome of World War Two hung in the balance

The year opened with the Axis powers inflicting a series of disasters on the newly formed Allies: Pearl Harbor, followed by Japan's conquest of the Philippines and Southeast Asia; Rommel running unchecked in North Africa; German U-boats transforming the East Coast of the United States into a shooting gallery; the failure of Britain's strategic bombing campaign; and devastating defeats of the Red Army at Kharkov, Crimea, and southern Russia. By the summer of 1942, many of these theatres offered a grim global calculus. Any notion of decisive victory seemed far-fetched.

Yet by the end of 1942 there had been a sea-change. Within just one 40-day timespan, the British had triumphed over Rommel at Alamein; British and American forces landed in North Africa to confront the Axis position there; the Americans won two naval battles at Guadalcanal, sealing the fate of that campaign and with it Japanese expansionism; the Red Army launched a massive counter-offensive at Stalingrad that would condemn six Axis armies-and hundreds of thousands of German, Italian, Romanian and Hungarian soldiers-to eventual destruction. The Allies had somehow gained the upper hand, forcing the Axis powers into a defensive crouch from which they would not rebound. The war, in short, had turned.

Jonathan Parshall's epic 1942: Crux of War offers a sweeping new narrative and visual history. Containing more than 150 maps and timelines, it looks at the year from all sides and from every front, revealing how military reform, economic mobilization, inspired improvisation, and growing professionalism coalesced quickly and decisively, paving the way toward final Allied victory. Parshall's book examines and illuminates World War II's most crucial and consequential year: its crux.

Author Biography

Jonathan Parshall is co-author of the bestselling Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. His work has been published in the U.S. Naval War College Review, U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Naval History magazine, WWII magazine, Wartime (the journal of the Australian War Memorial), and others. He is a lecturer for the U.S. Naval War College, a frequent speaker at museums, a featured historian on numerous World War Two tours, and has appeared on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, History Channel, Smithsonian, the BBC, and Netflix.

Number of Pages: 1280
Dimensions: 2.35 x 10.1 x 7.37 IN
Publication Date: June 18, 2026

Made with care

Great value

Elegant design

Quality materials

Details

Each book is chosen to inspire, entertain, and expand your perspective. Whether you're relaxing or learning something new, it’s made to fit seamlessly into your everyday life.

Shipping & Returns

We strive to process and ship all orders in a timely manner, working diligently to ensure that your items are on their way to you as soon as possible.

We are committed to ensuring a positive shopping experience for all our customers. If for any reason you wish to return an item, we invite you to reach out to our team for assistance, and we will evaluate every return request with care and consideration.

Shop The Full Collection

$100M Leads: How to Get Strangers To Want To Buy Your Stuff - Hardcover

$100M Leads: How to Get Strangers To Want To Buy Your Stuff - Hardcover

$100M Money Models: How To Make Money - Hardcover

$100M Money Models: How To Make Money - Hardcover

$100M Money Models: How To Make Money - Hardcover

$52.47
Sale price  $52.47 Regular price 
$100M Money Models: How To Make Money - Paperback

$100M Money Models: How To Make Money - Paperback

$100M Money Models: How To Make Money - Paperback

$43.72
Sale price  $43.72 Regular price 
$100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No - Hardcover

$100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No - Hardcover