Cassell, 2002, $14.95, ISBN 0-304-36127-5, 240 pgs., paperback

Under General Editor John Keegan, the Cassell History of Warfare continues to grow...and impress. So often, one-book recaps fall short on facts and run long on stereotypes. Not so these books--after a half a dozen of them, I've come to expect excellence...and get it.

The full-size hardback books are twice the price, and worth it. But if you need a good inexpensive set, these paperback reprints of all the text and some of the photos, art, and maps, are wonderful. Each one succinctly covers the particular phase of warfare, mixing strategy, economics and politics with concise analysis of campaigns and pivotal battles.

The Second World War in the Far East traces the Pacific Theater of WWII from the Japanese invasions of Manchuria and China to the surrender on board the USS Missouri. In between, Willmott hits all the noteworthy accomplishments of both sides, as well as the errors, miscalculations, and other blunders.

Willmott emphasizes the disparity of forces--at first with Japanese local superiority, and then increasing US superiority in all categories. Since the Pacific was primarily a naval struggle, analysis of projected power, island hopping strategy, and resource strangulation (especially regarding the Japanese Merchant Marine) play a major rule in the text.

Photos dot the prose while a number of maps and 3D illustrations supplement the text. The maps don't receive full justice due to the smaller paperback size, but are more than adequate.

All in all, this is another excellent addition to the Cassell series.

See also: The Second World War in the West