When A.J.P. Taylor's The Origins of the Second World War appeared in 1961 it made a profound impact. The book became a classic and a central point of reference in all discussion on the Second World War.

The second edition of this distinguished collection, written by leading experts in the field, is designed to bring the state of the argument up to date. The issues discussed include:

* the legacy of the Treaty of Versailles
* Hitlers foreign policy
* Appeasement
* AJP Taylor and the Russians
* the treatment of the crises leading up to war including the Anschluss, Danzig, Abysinnian crises and the Spanish Civil War.

This second edition will ensure that The Origins of the Second World War will remain a high priority student and scholarly reading lists.