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A. J. P. Taylor tells the story of the darkest hour of the twentieth century in The Origins of the Second World War. Summary of the Book In this book, Taylor visits the events which snowballed into the Second World War. He looks at the time before Hitler’s invasion of Poland, explaining how the world was inevitably waiting for war. He shows how the Treaty of Versailles left the First World War hanging,  and puts forth his views against the Nuremberg Thesis. He writes that the Second World War was not merely orchestrated by Hitler and his associates, and that far too many people have accepted that theory. He also explains that with the Treaty, Europe had merely ensured that the world would return to war, and that the war to end all war had failed. This book gives readers a unique look at the origins of World War II, offering them detailed accounts of the events. About A. J. P. Taylor A. J. P. Taylor was an English historian, journalist and broadcaster. He is remembered for his television lectures and his books. Some of his other books are The Italian Problem in European Diplomacy, 1847–49, The Struggle for Mastery in Europe 1848–1918 and Bismarck: The Man and the Statesman.