The premise of the title sounds good, but its playing out falls short.

Not really a lot of new discussion here. Hints at one possible area of discussion were over Soviet collaboration with the Nazis in the period between the invasion of Poland and Barbarossa. But, Burleigh doesn't go into more depth, and also, that's not a period of combat.

And, there are several failings.

First, yes, Pius XII may have intervened once to help Roman Jews. He also repeatedly stood silent with chances to help either Italian Jews or those of all Europe. Burleigh says nothing.

Second, he talks about US generals being holystoned by a "febrile press." And Monty wasn't?

Third, not just once but twice, he seems to equate anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.

Fourth, he seems to overrate Churchill as a strategist, though that's outside the issue of morals.

Fifth, on the Manhattan Project, he was wrong that Oppie's best work was past him. MANY astrophysicists believe his late life work on star development was Nobel-class stuff.

I was going to three-star this, as a gentleman's C, but just can't do it. The absence of good stuff combined with the errors above undercut it.