The Second World War was a war like no other, and yet it has come to define our idea of war itself. Politicians and the mass media alike have felt compelled to dramatize the importance of a particular crisis by invoking parallels to the Second World War. And foreign dictators are constantly compared to Hitler. So, finding ourselves faced with the possibility of great power clashes once again, this is surely the time to re-examine both its characteristics and consequences.

Antony Beevor’s books include "Stalingrad," "Berlin, D-Day," "The Battle for Spain," and "The Second World War." His work, which has received major prizes in several countries, has appeared in thirty-four languages and sold more than eight and a half million copies. A former chairman of the Society of Authors, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Historical Society, he has received honorary doctorates and fellowships from five British universities. In 2014 he received the Pritzker Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. Among other foreign decorations, he was made Commander of the Order of the Crown in Belgium in 2016. He was knighted in 2017.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this event: Armed Forces Thanksgiving, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, and the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan.