April 1945: The Hinge of History

Today's nonfiction post is on April 1945: The Hinge of History by Craig Shirley. It is 528 pages long and is published by Thomas Nelson. The cover is a picture of some American soldiers with flags waving to the camera. The intended reader is someone who is interested in World War II history and in-depth examinations of particular periods in time. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The New York Times bestseller December 1941 depicted the startling events that caused the United States to enter the Second World War. Four years later, the country transformed into a true global superpower in April 1945, historian Craig Shirley delivers his bookend account of the wars, rich with on-the-ground insights into the waning months of the war and the shifts in the American cultural mindset during those heady days.
From the diminutive to the grand, the famous to the unknown, the significant to the unreported, you'll explore how the events of 1945- in particular, the linchpin month of April- changed the world. This was a time when a hot war turned into an uneasy peace, and finally, into a Cold War; when an era of conventional warfare became an age of transcontinental bombers, rockets, and atomic weapons; when Russia allies became Soviet foes, and when the United States went from arming the world by necessity to protecting the world by need.
Each chapter explores how international and domestic news, drastically impacted the American people. from the average Joe to political titan. As Shirley expertly defines the pulse of a global battle, you'll gain a uniquely tangible picture of the events that led to the conclusion of the war- and the creation of a new world. 

Review- This was a fascinating read. The book starts at the beginning of 1945 giving basic information about what was going on in the world, not just the war. Shirley really does cover just about everything that was going on, from what movies were in theaters to the music and of course the war news. It is an incredible snapshot of this time. Shirley follows politicians and does give time to the war and everything that happened in it. But then he will take the reader to a different place and talk about what was going there. The writing is very good, the research is excellent, and the way that the book gives a picture of time is just wonderful. I want to read more books like this, I want to see more than just war news. I enjoyed reading about small towns and people just living their lives as best they could. I strongly recommend this book. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.