Human Smoke by Nicholson Baker

Baker, Nicholson. Human Smoke. Simon & Schuster, 2008.

Controversial author Baker does not flinch in this new look at the causes of WWII. Written in a choppy style more evocative of newspaper clippings, this is a "blurb-style" book with no clear story line or narrative, but a clear thematic thread nonetheless. Baker seeks to blow open the notion of the "Good War" by revealing some of the more hidden roots of anti-semitism both in the United States and Europe.

Baker has a clear pacifist agenda and is attempting to alter perceptions about history that most Americans hold dear. Are those perceptions so much myth? Is there ever such a thing as a "good war"? I don't ultimately side with Baker on the entire anti-war premise, but in light of current events, the questions he raises are legitimate for public discourse. I found his unique perspective enlightening and useful for providing a thoroughly rounded view of WWII.

Recommendations:

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Compelling, haunting and lyrical, these two novellas offer an interesting glimpse into the occupation of France by the Nazis. It is is a fascinating character study showing how hardship brings out peoples' true natures. (The author lived in France during this time and died in a concentration camp before she could finish her intended four novellas.)

Days of Infamy by Newt Gingrich

For a different perspective on the start of WWII, readers might like this novel of Pearl Harbor.

Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World by Patrick J. Buchanan

Another controversial tome with another viewpoint of how the West was drawn into conflict. While Buchanan and Baker might not agree on the details, they both would agree that war could have been avoided, but was a juggernaut that took on a life of its own through a series of hidden and seemingly minor decisions or beliefs. Fascinating!

The War: An Intimate History, 1941-1945 by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns

This is the most recent definitive work covering the entire conflict from the United States' perspective.