Do you want to learn more about World War II, but don't have time to read huge, long books? Then let The History Journals take you on an hourly history tour of each year of the war with The World War II History Journals series, which includes one book per year from 1939 to 1945.

Throughout this series of journals released to acknowledge 80 years since the beginning of WW2, we will be looking at the seven years of that conflict on an annual basis. The conflict, the buildup to war, the major battles, the strategies and technological developments, the effect on civilians and most importantly of all we'll consider the role of the soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives fighting for the freedom of others.

In the opening days and weeks of 1942, the impact of the wider world now being at war really began to be felt. Since 1939 Adolf Hitler and his Axis powers had dominated mainland Europe and for a time it seemed that every military move Hitler made was successful. By the end of 1940 the Germans had completed their occupation of France and in the autumn months had fought the Battle of Britain with a view to an early invasion of the United Kingdom. As an island nation, standing alone against Hitler the British faced the terror of the Blitz, as the Luftwaffe bombed London and other major cities, night after night. Under the leadership of Winston Churchill the people defiantly refused to allow their spirits to be broken, but as another year passed, the threat of a Nazi invasion force reaching Britain's shores loomed as large as ever. Follow us onward into the history of WW2 in 1942.

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