Reddit mentions of The Bitter Road to Freedom: The Human Cost of Allied Victory in World War II Europe

So, to construct this argument Ive synthesized a series of sources on the World Wars and the actual Thirty Years War to draw a meaningful comparison between the two. The main books (other than specific campaign guides) I would recommend are The Bitter Road to Freedom: The Human Cost of Allied Victory in World War II Europe and also Dynamic of Destruction:Culture and Mass Killing in the First World War. Both books specifically talk about the wars in terms of the human cost, and the physical destruction that Europe underwent to fight both World Wars. Specifically, Dynamic discusses World War One, which we would associate with this static war, which while destructive, was highly compartmentalized. Dynamic disproves this belief.

Further, I would recommend The Thirty Years War: By CV Wedgwood as a great primer for that war. While dated, Wedgwood still conveys the spirit of the War perfectly, I feel.

Further, I would argue that orders like the Commissar Order, Francs-tireurs (in the context of WW1), and the Rape of Nanking reinforce the argument that both wars are quite similar in their absolute, total, and barbaric conduct.

Sorry that its not just one volume, but if you work through those texts I think you might get a better sense for the connection. Specifically, if I had to recommend one book it would be Wedgwood. Getting a good grip on the Thirty Years War will really highlight the similarities with the World Wars, especially the Second, which we all know about.