The original impetus for writing this book was provided by the
Distance Education Department of Simon Fraser University, who
asked me to write a course on the Second World War centred around
a series of television films. This proved to be a challenging and
rewarding experience. I am particularly grateful to Colin Yerbury
for the help he gave me in this project.

Beate Giuffre gave me skilful and dedicated assistance in
tracking down the more obscure literature on the war, particularly in
foreign languages, and I am greatly in her debt. I have plundered the
works and picked the brains of so many fellow historians that it
would be impossible to list them all. The bibliography, which lists
only works in English, is too modest a tribute.

Dedications are so often a pathetic attempt to make amends
for adultery, neglect or betrayal. I am in the enviable position of
being able unblushingly to place this book in the hands of one for
whose generosity, support and understanding it is pitifully inadequate
recompense.

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