The Winds of War is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II, the first being The Caine Mutiny (1951). Published in 1971, it was followed up seven years later by War and Remembrance. Originally conceived as one volume, Wouk decided to break it in two when he realized it took nearly 1000 pages just to get to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The story centers around a mixture of real and fictional characters, all connected in some way to the extended family of Victor "Pug" Henry, a middle-aged Naval Officer and close friend of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

The story begins shortly before Germany's invasion of Poland, which begins the war, and ends shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when America, and therefore, by extension, the Henrys, enters the war as well.

As the story begins, Victor Henry is appointed naval attache in Berlin. During the boat trip to Europe. Victor meets a German military general, Armin von Roon, who later becomes the viewpoint character for the German side of the war. He also befriends a British radio personality, Alastair "Talky" Tudsbury, and his daughter, Pamela. While in Germany, Pug witnesses the beginnings of the German government's discrimination again the Jews, and also notices the intent of the Germans to invade Poland. Realizing that this would mean war with the Soviet Union, he concludes the only way for Germany to safely invade is to agree not to go to war with the Soviets. Going over his supervisor's head, he submits a report directly to President Roosevelt, predicting the Nazi-Soviet non-agression pact before it takes place. This makes him a close personal friend of Roosevelt, who asks Pug to be his eyes and ears in Europe.

Pug begins a platonic but very close and borderline romantic relationship with Pamela, but refuses to leave his wife Rhoda for her. Rhoda, meanwhile, is forced to spend time away from her husband, and begins a relationship with a government scientist named Palmer Kirby.

Pug's three children have their own story lines. His older son, Warren, enroles in flight school in Florida. His daughter, Madeleine, gets involved in American radio. The one who gets the most story time devoted to him is middle child and younger son Byron. Thought well-edcuated and navy-commissioned, Byron is at loose ends for finding a job. In Sienna, Italy, he accepts a job as a research assistant for an expatriate Jewish American author, Aaron Jastrow, who is best known for his book, A Jew's Jesus. He also meets Jastrow's niece, Natalie, and her boyfriend, Leslie Slote, who works for the U.S. Embassy. Natalie is also a good friend of Pamela Tudsbury. As Byron and Natalie spend more time together, they fall in love. She ends her romantic relationship with Slote, but he stays good friends with both of them. After marrying Byron, she devotes herself to getting her reluctant uncle out of Europe to escape the growing Holocasut.

All three storylines are left at a cliffhanger as the war begins. Rhoda makes and the retracts a request for a divorce. Byron joins the war as a submarine officer. Aaron, Natalie, and Natalie's infant son Louis are trapped in Europe as the war begins. These storylines continue through War and Remembrance.