Book · 2015 · World war, 1939-1945, campaigns
How the War Was Won
Why people recommend it
How the War Was Won by Phillips P. O'Brien is a historical analysis that reinterprets the military strategies and industrial mobilization of World War II. On the podcast The Ezra Klein Show, during the episode titled The Inflation Story Has Changed Dramatically. Paul Krugman Breaks It Down, which was released on February 17, 2023, economist Paul Krugman recommended the book during his final reading recommendations of the conversation. Krugman mentioned that he had recently reread the work by Phillips P. O'Brien, whom he identified as a military historian who has also become a prolific commentator on contemporary conflicts, including the war in Ukraine. Krugman praised the publication for offering what he described as a wonderfully unromantic and anti-glory view of armed conflict. Instead of focusing solely on traditional battlefield heroics or grand tactical maneuvers, the book shifts the analytical lens toward the unglamorous mechanics of modern warfare, emphasizing the critical importance of industrial capacity, resource management, supply chains, and logistics in determining ultimate victory. Krugman valued the perspective the historian provided on how large-scale wars are actually sustained and concluded, making the text an essential read for individuals seeking a grounded, realistic, and systems-level understanding of military history rather than conventional battle narratives.
Who recommended it
- Paul Krugman Recommended
Paul Krugman — 1 mention
“I have recently reread how the war was won by Phillips O'Brien who's a military historian and it's a book about World War II but he's become a prolific commentator on the war in Ukraine and it's mostly it's this wonderfully unromantic anti-glory view of War it's all about look it's really about modern Wars about production and Logistics”