I think this series is a very important work on WWII, one that ought to be read widely for the sweeping view it provides of war and what it does to a people, to a family. There is a lot of great, detailed history here. The depth of military analysis was surprising to me, but very informative to someone of a younger generation who has never encountered a full picture of just what was happening on the international scene in the first half of the twentieth century.

Unfortunately, I didn't think War and Remembrance maintained the great vision and storytelling ability that I saw and devoured in Winds of War. On the one hand, the depth of military analysis presented in this work might be a benefit insofar is it is highly informative. On the other hand, however, the extent to which the military and political picture became central in this installment, the story of the Henry's and the narrative that had drawn me into Winds of War suffered immensely. Towards the last quarter of the novel, it felt like the narrative was almost inserted as a last minute thought, and the military aspects were the true purpose of the novel. If that were truly the case, I would probably have never picked it up, and this subverting of the narrative to the primacy of the more technical aspects of the war is largely responsible for the immensely long time it took me to finish this tome.

A good read, and still highly recommended for its historical value, but don't expect this one to suck you into the drama the way Winds of War did. ( )