Limns the Allies’ key strategic decisions of World War II, dividing them geographically between the two major theaters and presenting them sequentially within each. Europe takes pride of place because America committed to defeating Hitler first. The author, an admiral turned Harvard professor, is frequently critical of the British predilection for nipping Europe’s edges (as well as its quibbles with American resources sent to the Pacific), but acknowledges Overlord would have been more difficult before 1944, once Torch was approved in 1942. Island hopping the way to Japan also was a synthetic solution (thus the title), but Morison speaks relatively little of the decision to use atomic weaponry. Admirable introduction, great Mill Valley library pickup.