"Covers every important battle and weapons system; every involved nation and significant geographic location; and every political, military, and civilian leader around the world who played a significant role in the war's onset, course, and aftermath ... Compiles significant documents relating to the period. Features include ... analysis of wartime conferences, crucial battlefield and diplomatic turning points, and lingering historical controversies; ... geopolitical and military maps, as well as numerous photographs, illustrations, and charts; in-depth coverage of the causes of the war and its effects on life on the home fronts, including morale and attitudes, political events, and the economies and work forces inside the nations in conflict"--P. [4] of cover.