The Second World War is an abridgement by Denis Kelly of the following volumes composed by Sir Winston Churchill:
The Gathering Storm (1919–May 10, 1940)
Their Finest Hour (1940)
The Grand Alliance (1941)
The Hinge of Fate (1942–July 1943)
Closing the Ring (July 1943–June 6, 1944)
Triumph and Tragedy (June 6, 1944–July 25, 1945)
Space compelled the omission of many passages from these volumes, and sequence and proportion demanded a considerable re-arrangement of the remainder of the text. Apart, however, from some linking sentences which are insignificant in number, this abridgement is entirely in Sir Winston’s own words.
The Epilogue, now published in book form for the first time, was written by Sir Winston at the beginning of 1957. It is unabridged and reviews the period since his relinquishment of the office of Prime Minister of Great Britain on July 26, 1945.