ABSORBING the detail and complexities of a conflict such as the Second World War can be daunting.

The answer to gaining a global overview can be found in this new book. And while I’m always weary of the definition “definitive”, this is probably as close as it gets. Covering everything from the build-up of hostilities to the reverberations of its aftermath, the lavish publication includes handy timelines laying out the key highlights of the conflict on a global scale. There are potted biographies of some of the key players and detailed accounts of battles, complete with specially-commissioned graphics and maps. Added to this are photographic spreads of weapons, artefacts of the Home Front, field medicine kits and gadgets for spies, including pencil and pipe pistols of which James Bond would have been proud.