War and Sex: A Brief History of Men's Urge for Battle Book

I listened to the audio version of this book on eight CDs. It's abridged, but I wouldn't have known it if it didn't say so on the case. This book gave me a very thorough education about World War II, "The Big Picture." I've read a lot about the war before, but it was usually about specific areas only. This book gave me a clear understanding of what was happening on all the different fronts (including the home front). It switches back and forth from Europe to the Pacific (and a little of Africa), so I was able to see how all the different pieces fit together within the same time period.
I also understand for the first time why our leaders felt it was necessary to drop "the bomb" on Japan. Not that it was right, but I see now how stubborn the Japanese leader was about refusing to surrender. The soldiers had to kill THEIR OWN women and children rather than allow them to surrender!