The renowned WWII historian offers a penetrating analysis of the ethical dilemmas faced by leaders and ordinary soldiers in this “powerful, gripping book” (Washington Times).

In Moral Combat, Michael Burleigh delivers a brilliant new examination of the day-to-day moral crises underpinning the momentous conflicts of the Second World War. A magisterial counterpart to his award-winning and internationally bestselling The Third Reich, winner of the Samuel Johnson prize, this work offers a unique look at “not just the war planners faced with the prospect of bombing Dresden or the atrocities of the Holocaust, but also the individuals working at the coalface of war, killing or murdering, resisting or collaborating” (The Times, UK).

“Magnificent . . . Seldom has a study of the past combined such erudition with such exuberance.” —The Guardian, UK

“No-one with an interest in the Second World War should be without this book; and indeed nor should anyone who cares about how our world has come about.” —The Daily Telegraph, UK