It's funny--there's a stereotype that politicians are all liars, yet anytime someone suggests that the government is lying to us, we quickly dismiss that as a ridiculous conspiracy theory.



Well, this book is not about a conspiracy theory; it's about World War II. And as the title says, it tells the other side of the story--the side you don't get from mainstream history books, most of which have been tainted by propaganda and thus offer only a very biased view of the facts.



As the author points out, no book is unbiased. If you're looking for pure objectivity, you'd better stick to math and science; you sure won't find it in history. Maybury is admittedly biased, and he explains right up front what his bias is so that the reader won't be deceived.



Some books may be more "patriotic" than this one, if your idea of patriotism is "my country, right or wrong." But, to borrow a scene from the movie The Matrix, you can choose the red pill or the blue pill: keep your blinders firmly in place, or dare to open your eyes to what's really going on.



For anyone who wants to take a sober look at the facts and make up his own mind, this book is a great place to start.



So, why not 5 stars if I love it so much? Well, it's an "Uncle Eric" book, ostensibly targeted to the narrator's twelve-year-old nephew. That means that if you're much older than twelve, it may sound like the author is talking down to you. If you can get past that, though, you'll find a clear presentation of oft-ignored facts about World War II. Lots of good food for thought.

It's funny--there's a stereotype that politicians are all liars, yet anytime someone suggests that the government is lying to us, we quickly dismiss that as a ridiculous conspiracy theory.

Well, this book is not about a conspiracy theory; it's about World War II. And as the title says, it tells the other side of the story--the side you don't get from mainstream history books, most of which have been tainted by propaganda and thus offer only a very biased view of the facts.

As the author points out, no book is unbiased. If you're looking for pure objectivity, you'd better stick to math and science; you sure won't find it in history. Maybury is admittedly biased, and he explains right up front what his bias is so that the reader won't be deceived.

Some books may be more "patriotic" than this one, if your idea of patriotism is "my country, right or wrong." But, to borrow a scene from the movie The Matrix, you can choose the red pill or the blue pill: keep your blinders firmly in place, or dare to open your eyes to what's really going on.

For anyone who wants to take a sober look at the facts and make up his own mind, this book is a great place to start.

So, why not 5 stars if I love it so much? Well, it's an "Uncle Eric" book, ostensibly targeted to the narrator's twelve-year-old nephew. That means that if you're much older than twelve, it may sound like the author is talking down to you. If you can get past that, though, you'll find a clear presentation of oft-ignored facts about World War II. Lots of good food for thought.

If you truly believe that questioning the ultimate motives for war is unpatriotic, then do not read this book. If you have the courage to accept there actually are two sides to every story, then this book is for you. The previous review takes quotes from this book entirely out of context ... whether you agree or not, this book does actually warrant investigation.

If you truly believe that questioning the ultimate motives for war is unpatriotic, then do not read this book. If you have the courage to accept there actually are two sides to every story, then this book is for you. The previous review takes quotes from this book entirely out of context ... whether you agree or not, this book does actually warrant investigation.

If you are a homeschooler with a deep distrust of your government, then this book is for you. I am a homeschooling mom. I do not deeply distrust my government. The basic premise of this book may have slight credibility, (yes, Stalin did kill more people than Hitler). Yet, "Uncle Eric" makes some pretty over-the-top claims. Claims such as, "The Jewish Holocaust gets the publicity because it is regarded as the justification for Jews to have a Jewish state (Israel) in the Mideast.",(pg 36), and in regards to Pearl Harbor, "Few are willing to face the possiblity that the President and his cronies planned it all." (pg. 162).

If you are looking for facts and the whys and wherefores of WWII, look elsewhere--it'll save you having to pay to ship this book back.