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World War II in Simple Spanish: Learn Spanish the Fun Way with Topics that Matter (Topics that Matter: Spanish Edition) Kindle Edition

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 252 ratings

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***FOR LOW- TO HIGH-INTERMEDIATE LEARNERS***

***Black and White Interior Edition****

Improve your Spanish and expand your vocabulary with topics that matter.

When it comes to mastering a foreign language, reading around your interests makes all the difference. But finding books designed for language learners can be hard! This book fixes that. For the first time, you’ll learn to improve your Spanish while reading about the history of World War II.

“I love Olly’s work - and you will too!” - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers

Told through short, manageable chapters in intermediate Spanish, you’ll become confident in the words, phrases and expressions you need to speak about the topics you care about.

World War II in Simple Spanish gives you all that you can wish for from a real history book without the tough academic terminology which may be difficult for intermediate learners. The story does not focus only on the main events of the conflict, but rather it includes the less-known aspects of WWII from the famous battlefields to the social aspects of life between 1939 to 1946 to the international Spanish-speaking stage.

Over 40 engaging and informative chapters, you’ll immerse yourself in the history of WWII and master Spanish in the process.

Here’s what you’ll get:
  • 47 chapters in simple Spanish, so you can learn about WWII without the struggle of reading an academic text.
  • Helpful key facts at the beginning of each chapter to help guide you through.
  • Chapters that are carefully written to be accessible for intermediate learners (CEFR B1-B2), so you can read purposively, at your level.
  • Word lists with English definitions in every chapter, so you can get instant translations of any difficult words. This means you can focus on enjoying the history rather than wasting time in a dictionary.
  • Fun-facts at the end of each chapter, so that you can dazzle your friends with interesting facts about the WWII period.
The chapters are written in Castilian Spanish. However, since the text uses mostly “neutral” Spanish, you’ll have plenty to learn, whether you’re learning the Spanish of Mexico, Colombia, or Costa Rica.
Created by Olly Richards, language teacher and author,
World War II in Simple Spanish gives you an experience in real Spanish that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll be better prepared for using Spanish in the real world, speak with more confidence, and take a giant leap towards fluency in Spanish!

SCROLL UP AND GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!

“[Olly’s] techniques have made a world of difference. I was able to learn more in 9 months with his techniques than I did in the 6+ years in school” - Courtney Baird, successful language learner

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From the Publisher

learn languages through stories

Storylearning

testimonial 1

testimonial 2

books 1

books 2

books 3

Olly Richards
TTM WWI_S cover TTM WWII_S cover TTM REV_S cover TTM WEB_S cover TTM RNR_S cover
World War I in Simple Spanish World War II in Simple Spanish Revolutions of the World in Simple Spanish Western Philosophy in Simple Spanish Rock'n'Roll in Simple Spanish
Customer Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
124
4.8 out of 5 stars
252
4.8 out of 5 stars
139
4.7 out of 5 stars
131
4.5 out of 5 stars
72
Price $16.99 $16.99 $16.99 $16.99 $16.99
Level B1-B2 B1-B2 B1-B2 B1-B2 B1-B2
Language Castilian Spanish Castilian Spanish Castilian Spanish Castilian Spanish Castilian Spanish
Series Topics that Matter (Spanish) Topics that Matter (Spanish) Topics that Matter (Spanish) Topics that Matter (Spanish) Topics that Matter (Spanish)

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0968DF6X8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ StoryLearning Press (June 7, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 7, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ Spanish
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4431 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 252 ratings

About the author

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Olly Richards
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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Olly Richards is a foreign language expert and teacher. He speaks eight languages and has authored over 30 books. He has appeared in international press, from the BBC and the Independent to El País and Gulf News. He has featured in language

documentaries and authored language courses for the Open University.

Olly started learning his first foreign language at the age of 19, when he bought a one-way ticket to Paris. With no exposure to languages growing up, and no natural talent for languages, Olly had to figure out how to learn French from scratch. Twenty years later, Olly has studied languages from around the world and is considered an expert in the field.

Through his books and website, StoryLearning.com, Olly is known for teaching languages through the power of story – including the book you are holding in your hands right now!

You can find out more about Olly, including a library of free training, at his website: www.storylearning.com

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
252 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book useful for language learners. They find it an enjoyable and engaging read, with quick summaries and detailed material. The vocabulary is accessible and easy to guess, making the subject matter familiar and engaging.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

30 customers mention "Language learning"30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book useful for language learning. They say it expands their vocabulary and improves comprehension. The content is relevant and enjoyable, making history in a foreign language more interesting. Readers mention the book is a rare learning resource and offers intermediate Spanish on an important topic.

"...Graded readers and books geared to juveniles are great for story learning but are so often boring or not interesting to the adult learner...." Read more

"...learners the opportunity to enrich and expand their goal to reach professional mastery of Spanish...." Read more

"...It will also offer some insights into the history of WWII for those who are not already very familiar with this topic...." Read more

"...There was a lot of carryover of vocabulary, since the major focus of both books was the military and political aspects of war...." Read more

19 customers mention "Readability"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the regular stories that help them understand the topic better. The short chapters allow readers to follow the storyline easily.

"...This book is interesting to read, even if you aren’t a history buff; the subject is important and the history is undeniable...." Read more

"...for me, but I am commited to find out, and at the very least his books are readable and enjoyable...." Read more

"...Even with its weaknesses, it is worth reading if you are an adult wanting to improve your Spanish." Read more

"...My ability to understand people when they speak to me, and my reading skills, have increased more in this last year than the previous two decades I..." Read more

17 customers mention "Vocabulary"14 positive3 negative

Customers find the vocabulary in the book accessible. The material includes quick summaries and more detailed information. They say it's detailed and accurate, while making difficult words bold and providing translations in the vocabulary section. Readers appreciate that the book is written at a level that is just right for them. Overall, they describe it as a unique introduction to the important history of World War II.

"...The illustrations make the subject and vocabulary even more accessible. Will he publish this book in other languages? I certainly hope so!..." Read more

"...His style is easy to read but at the same time offers the opportunity to learn some new vocabulary...." Read more

"...a language with longer texts provides context for the grammar, useful vocabulary, also in context, and often repeated several times within the..." Read more

"...book isn't an exhaustive tome on WWII, but a book providing a good overview of the War written in simple Spanish to assist learners." Read more

15 customers mention "Interest"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and promising. They find the topic familiar, making it easier to guess unfamiliar words. The story is engaging and at a perfect level to understand. Readers also mention that the series is excellent and motivating, especially the 101 Conversations series.

"...is interesting to read, even if you aren’t a history buff; the subject is important and the history is undeniable...." Read more

"...I think that he did an excellent job of selecting and organizing the vast subject of WWII...." Read more

"...These are excellent and motivating books." Read more

"...I love that he has started to come out with topics you might want to chat with people about...." Read more

World War ll in simple Spanish is great!
5 out of 5 stars
World War ll in simple Spanish is great!
I'm an intermediate Spanish learner and this book was written at a level that was just right for me. It's the best concise history of World War ll and it's in Spanish that I was able to understand. What a pleasant surprise. It needs to be translated into English, German, Russian, etc. so the whole world will know this history. I was born in 1941 and lived this history.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2021
    This is a great resource for learning Spanish. As an adult reader,I’ve struggled finding interesting books to read in my target language. Graded readers and books geared to juveniles are great for story learning but are so often boring or not interesting to the adult learner. This book is interesting to read, even if you aren’t a history buff; the subject is important and the history is undeniable. It works very nicely to bridge the huge gap between juvenile graded readers and mass produced books. I hope Olly writes more books such as this one.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2021
    As a retired professor of German and an adult learner of intermediate Spanish, I applaud Olly and his dedicated crew of collaborators for responding to a signifiant need. There is an almost overwhelming availability of materials to learn elementary and intermediate conversational Spanish, but this plethora of publications includes little interesting and educational non-fiction reading material at the intermediate Spanish level. (Advanced students can read the books of the great Spanish authors and scholars.) By creating a unique introduction to the important history of World War II in Intermediate Spanish, Olly provides students reasonably priced learning material about both history and language at the same time. Vocabulary in non-fiction varies significantly from that in conversations and fiction, giving serious Spanish learners the opportunity to enrich and expand their goal to reach professional mastery of Spanish. After reading it, I think that he did an excellent job of selecting and organizing the vast subject of WWII. The illustrations make the subject and vocabulary even more accessible. Will he publish this book in other languages? I certainly hope so! By the way, Olly's book on Climate Change was the first in a series of readers for Intermediate Spanish. World War II is the second. I have read both and recommend them highly.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2021
    I have just begun reading Olly's series of books. Since I prefer history and other non-fiction to fiction, I was especially pleased that he has begun offering this type of book for Spanish intermediate readers. His style is easy to read but at the same time offers the opportunity to learn some new vocabulary. It will also offer some insights into the history of WWII for those who are not already very familiar with this topic. Unfortunately, that includes far too many of our citizens whose father and mothers were part of this story.
    I have not yet confirmed that Olly's approach to "getting over the intermediate hump" will work for me, but I am commited to find out, and at the very least his books are readable and enjoyable. I am very hopeful that they will also prove to be a very effective learning tool.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2022
    I read this book after reading the book on World War I. There was an advantage to doing so. There was a lot of carryover of vocabulary, since the major focus of both books was the military and political aspects of war. That carryover made reading this book quicker and easier. There was a downside, though. Since the vocabulary was much the same, it gave little opportunity to learn new words or word patterns. You would get nothing at all, for example, to help with shopping at a Mercado during a visit to a Spanish-speaking country. From a historical perspective, there were a few goofs. For example, the author placed the Graf Spae incident in Argentina, when in reality it was in Uruguay. The major weakness of both books as history is there is precious little history. The books are most analysis of people, places, and things. The entire Pacific island-hopping campaign only gets a few paragraphs in this volume, for example. I could go on. Let me summarize the way I began my review of the World War I book. There are precious few books out there that are for adults wanting to learn or improve their ability with a new language. Most books seem to be for teens because they are full of teen angst. This series is a refreshing break from that pattern. Even with its weaknesses, it is worth reading if you are an adult wanting to improve your Spanish.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2021
    I added this non-fiction book to my Spanish library. I have many of Olly's books and products and find them well made, informative, and entertaining. Another book I can read to gain insight into a topic I have interest is great.

    The book covers a few areas I haven't seen before - Latin America's participation, impact on children, treatment of prisoners of war, and African Americans in WWII. It also covers the major leaders of the Axis and Allies - short chapters on each one, along with chapters on a few of the major battles - Midway, Pearl Harbor, Battle of Britain, Operation Barbarossa.

    The book isn't an exhaustive tome on WWII, but a book providing a good overview of the War written in simple Spanish to assist learners.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2021
    I've been learning Spanish through stories for over a year now, and Ollie's stories are the best for actually learning the language. I've tried readng newspapers and advanced books, and they just don't keep me interested the way his stories do. The fact I am still engaged in this method is proof to me it works. My ability to understand people when they speak to me, and my reading skills, have increased more in this last year than the previous two decades I have been ' trying' to learn Spanish.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2022
    The book is a great way to improve your Spanish. It can be difficult when reaching an intermediate level. The beginner dialogues are too easy and boring, however, my Spanish is not good enough to read authentic material. This really does bridge the gap, as advertised. I recommend his books as a way to improve your vocabulary and to learn the real language. This method sure does beat the traditional school method of memorizing word lists.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Wayne Brehaut
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Topic and Valuable Continuation of StoryLearning in Spanish
    Reviewed in Canada on June 17, 2021
    After Short Stories in Spanish, 101 Conversations in Simple Spanish, and 101 Conversations in Intermediate Spanish, it's great to be able to continue expanding one's vocabulary with readings on interesting topics. Olly's previous Climate Change in Simple Spanish and now World War II in Simple Spanish have kept me developing my fluency with new vocabulary and emphasis on less basic grammar, such as extensive usage of the "historic past" (preterite) and "El Presente histórico" as one often finds in history and historical novels, for example.

    This book contains a brief summary of the major events of WWII using more basic and intermediate vocabulary than one would find in more scho0larly histories, making it ideal both to extend one's Spanish and learn or review important world events of that era.

    I look forward to future readings on interesting and important topics in Spanish accessible to my level but also helping extend my knowledge and skill in the language so I can converse with a wider range of people.
  • Marion Exley
    5.0 out of 5 stars A FANTASTIC BOOK!!!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 16, 2021
    This is THE MOST AMAZING BOOK. When I got to the last page on my kindle I said out loud 'noooo, that can't be the end!'. I've absolutely loved it. Not only have I learnt so much more about WWII, but it's incredibly well written and interesting and I'm sure my Spanish has improved. Thank you so much. update. I have now bought it and read it in paperback as I prefer reading actual books. I loved it just as much if not more. Absolutely brilliant, thank you. I have now purchased the book from the same series on the Human Body. I cant wait to start that!!!
  • hakl
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interessantes Buch auf Mittelstufen-Niveau
    Reviewed in Germany on June 18, 2021
    Das Buch bietet, neben den üblichen historischen Fakten,
    auch interessante Einblicke in weniger behandelte Themen,
    wie die Kriegsbeteiligung von Afroamerikanern und amerikanischen Ureinwohnern.
    Man lernt etwas dazu und vertieft sein Spanisch.
    Das sprachliche Niveau ist gut von Mittelstufen-Lernern zu bewältigen.
    Demnächst soll das Buch dann auch als Hörbuch erscheinen,
    was dann zusammen mit dem Text die gelungene Lern-Kombi ist.
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and engaging content from Olly yet again
    Reviewed in India on June 18, 2021
    As an adult learner, it's generally hard to find engaging content at my level but my search ended when I first started reading Olly Richard's Short Stories in beginner spanish. Now coming to this book, it is structured so well and I love that I'm able to acquire new vocabulary while getting a recap of the World War 2.
  • Steve
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best reader with interesting content
    Reviewed in Australia on January 8, 2022
    This book works perfectly as it should - a language learning tool that keeps your interest. In fact, I think it's the best of this kind I've read so far.

    I'm sure if you're an expert in WWII history you won't learn much new, but that's perfect for improving your understanding of the language. Otherwise, you'll learn a bit about the war, and improve your Spanish.

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