Ballantine's Illustrated History of World II, later renamed Ballantine's Illustrated History of the Violent Century, is a collection of paperback books published in both the USA and the UK. This series covers various facets of Twentieth Century conflicts, with each volume offering extensive information and illustrations. Many titles are authored by renowned military writers, including Anthony Farrar-Hockley and Peter Young. The military history series encompasses 156 titles, with each book measuring 5¼ by 8¼ inches and featuring approximately 160 illustrated pages. The series was overseen by Editor-in-Chief Barrie Pitt, a journalist, author, and editor who served in Europe and the East during World War II. Having previously authored several successful military history books and edited Purnell's History of the Second World War, Barrie was well-equipped for the role and provided invaluable support to the younger historians in the series. The 156 books are categorized into six distinct color-coded groups: the Campaign Series in beige/khaki, the Battle Series in red, the Weapon Series in blue, the War Leader Series in purple, the Politics In Action Series in black, the Human Conflict Series in yellow, along with two titles from the Special Colour.
