The Second World War was a watershed in world history: the seizing of power by Hitler and the Nazis, the slowly building crescendo of annexations that led to Blitzkrieg, the conquest of Europe, the U-boat war, the strategic bombing campaign, the invasion of Russia, Stalingrad and D-Day, and the long German retreat to unconditional surrender.

Mapping the Second World War does not try to retell every point in the story of the war in Europe, rather it seeks to provide - through contemporary documents - a different view of the war and suggest avenues for further research. Presenting over...