Reception: 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. CT | Event: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. CT

This event is free and open to the public. Register today to join us in person or to view the event online.

Join us in conversation with author Jonathan Parshall, whose long-awaited new book, 1942: Crux of War, looks at this pivotal year of World War II, weighing the balance of forces arrayed by the Axis and Allied powers, the nature of their war machines, and the personalities of those driving them.  

A reception from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. will precede the event, and Parshall will sign copies of his book following the presentation. Preorder your signed copy from the Museum Store.  

For additional information, please email Connie Gentry, Conference and Programs Manager, at connie.gentry@nationalww2museum.org. 

About 1942: Crux of War

The year 1942 opened with uncertainty, with the Axis powers overwhelming the newly formed Allies on every front: Pearl Harbor, followed by Japan’s conquest of Southeast Asia; Erwin Rommel creating havoc in North Africa; German U-boats transforming the East Coast of the United States into a shooting gallery; the failure of Britain’s strategic bombing campaign; and devastating defeats of the Red Army at Kharkov, Crimea, and southern Russia. But by the end of the year, the Allies had adjusted, and, backed by America’s production juggernaut, were pushing the Axis powers back. Jonathan Parshall’s 1942: Crux of War offers an exhaustive yet breathtaking visual and narrative account of the events of 1942. Containing more than 150 maps and timelines, it illuminates how reform, economic mobilization, improvisation, and growing professionalism all coalesced, creating the possibility of a final Allied victory—a monumental work about the crucial period of a monumental war. 

About the Author

Jonathan Parshall is co-author of Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. His work has been published in the US Naval War College Review, US Naval Institute Proceedings, Naval History Magazine, and WWII magazine. A lecturer for the US Naval War College, Parshall is a frequent speaker at museums. He is also co-host of YouTube’s The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War and has appeared on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, History Channel, Smithsonian, the BBC, and Netflix. He and his family live in Minneapolis.