On a real issue of what started WWII, there is a great new book out on Soviet agents manipulation of Roosevelt administration communists and the tactics they used to push the Japanese into war with us at Pearl.
“Operation Snow: How a Soviet Mole in FDR’s White House Triggered Pearl Harbor “ by John Koster is a great read.
See:
http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Snow-Soviet-Triggered-Harbor/dp/1596983221
Operation Snow: How a Soviet Mole in FDR’s White House Triggered Pearl Harbor
Koster documents how Harry Dexter White in FDRs administration worked as an operative for the Soviets to push Japan into war with the US at Pearl Harbor in order to keep the USSR from having to fight a war with Japan on the Soviet east flank while they were fighting Hitler.
White, like Hess, was falsely exonorated and Koster has the goods on him from the declassified sources. Without his intentional provocation, Japan would not have attacked us or felt the need to do so. Addiitionally he shows the warnings, down to exact date and location, that the communist agents in the FDR regime got covered up or ignored.
Yes. WW II is almost universally presented as the “good war.” In questioning that, I’m not faulting our troops or the patriotism of Americans during that time. My uncle was killed in that war. But the sad fact is that although we defeated Hitler and Hirohito, we handed half the world over to Stalin and Mao instead.
I think that Evelyn Waugh has the right angle on it in his Sword of Honour trilogy.