Rather than a dense, chronological overview of the war, Windows on World War II takes readers on an eccentric and exciting journey through extraordinary, heroic and seminal episodes, from the storming of Beijing by the Japanese in 1937 and Rudolf Hess' 1941 'mission of peace' in Scotland, to the story of Claus von Stauffenberg, the man who almost killed Hitler in 1944. This is not history for dummies but rather a sophisticated and entertaining way to catch up on history and learn about particular eras.