The book begins with a brief introduction called "the background" which explains who the major political leaders were and what diplomatic steps they took to avoid, or ensure, world war. It then begins the day-by-day history of the war on all fronts -- starting with the German invasion of Poland, but rapidly expanding to cover all aspects of the European and North African phases of the conflict as well as the Pacific and Indian Ocean campaigns. If you have ever wondered, or needed to know, what happened on a certain day of the war anywhere in the world -- air, land or sea -- all you need to do is flip that page and you'll have your answer.