1944 does not break any new ground, as Winik leans heavily on the archival digging done by other scholars over the last generation...But for the general reader, this dramatic account highlights what too often has been glossed over — that as nobly as the Greatest Generation fought under FDR’s command, America could well have done more to thwart Nazi aggression.
The strength of 1944 is that it covers the broad sweep of the war in one volume, with sprightly prose and a few literary touches...But the ambitious scope of 1944 is also a weakness.
Winik’s attempt to change history is ultimately unconvincing. The field of Holocaust studies is crowded with books much more worthy. In truth, 1944 left me rather annoyed. It’s poorly conceived and shoddily presented.
Certain historical topics — including FDR and World War II — have generated virtual libraries of books and articles. The work goes on, but readers of new material have a right to expect either fresh evidence or a novel argument supported by existing evidence. Winik offers neither.
Reading 1944, I was reminded of Where’s Waldo?, the classic picture book series whose brightly colored illustrations challenge young readers to find the title character, hidden in huge crowds.
Students of the Holocaust will want to read 1944. But general readers may find this long book a wearying slog through minefields of adjectives and adverbs...
