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Amazon.co.uk Review
If you buy only one book about the First World War you would be hard-pressed to do better than this one. From the dust jacket reproduction of C.R.W. Nevinson's harrowing painting, French Troops Resting, to the clear, well-presented series of maps at the end, it displays the very highest standards of production. In between the covers it is positively brimming with an extensive selection of photographs, posters and paintings from or about the period. Some are well-known though many are less so and have clearly been rooted out in a thorough and wide-ranging archive search. This alone brings something to the book that few others on the subject can match: the ability to evoke the spirit of the time through the imagery and sights--though thankfully not the sounds and smells--of the period, transporting the mind of reader back in time.
This, however, is only one aspect of the book. The other is a series of 23 authoritative, scholarly essays by renowned historians on various aspects of the war. The subjects are comprehensive in scope, taking in the expected areas such as the origins of the war, the strategies employed by the Central and Entente powers, the war at sea and in the air, and economic warfare. There are also fascinating chapters on Mutinies and Military Morale, Women, War, and Work, The Challenge to Liberalism: The Politics of the Home Fronts and finally a touching and poignant chapter, Memory and the Great War, which examines the haunting legacy of the cataclysm. As the war gradually recedes from living memory this book will surely become a significant part of that legacy for current and future generations--lest they forget. -- Alisdair Bowles --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"A remarkable series of essays of a variety of issues raised by the Great War.... Highly recommended for most libraries."--Library Journal
"Editor Strachan has commissioned 20 historians to summarize present thought about the July 1914 crisis, the military course of the war, the social and economic strains it exerted in all the belligerents, and its conclusion in revolutions and treaties. The war shattered illusions of every kind, starting with the belief that it would be brief; the accounts of why it was not are pithily rendered, reinforced by powerful illustrations of the western front's moonscapes, among other scenes of the war. Strachan's writers also assess the war outside Europe and the nascent nationalisms it unleashed. Readers will find this comprehensive work a captivating introduction to the Great War."--Gilbert Taylor in Booklist
"Strachan has chosen wisely, and offers a well-conceived...introduction. In all, a worthwhile contribution to WWI literature."--Kirkus Re
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First Sentence
Kosutnjak Park, Belgrade, mid-May 1914: Gavrilo Princip fires his revolver at an oak tree, training for his part in the plot. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Kosutnjak Park, Belgrade, mid-May 1914: Gavrilo Princip fires his revolver at an oak tree, training for his part in the plot. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book offers a broad view of the First World War, which is both the book's strength and its weakness. The book is a collection of essays addressing various topics and periods in the war, each written by the leading experts in the field. While this generally ensures knowledgable overviews, the lack of continuity of interpretation (so were the Germans suffering from a lack of artillery in 1918 or weren't they?) can be annoying at times. Furthermore, the limitations on the length of the various chapters means that even the most important subject receives only a cursory treatment at best. Overall, it's a good introduction to the war, though one that should be supplemented by additional reading in the bibliographies provided.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
10 reviews
48 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Not for the Beginner
26 July 2002
Format:Hardcover
Let me add a disclaimer to this review, I am only moderately interested in the First World War and was hoping to get an easy to read and complete history of the conflict to aid my understanding. I thought this would be a good book to accomplish this task and cover the basics. What I found was that I had made a mistake. The book is a collection of essays written by some very competent and well thought of British historians. It appeared to me that each of them was very familiar with the topic chosen and the essays really were good, well thought out and written documents. The issue I had is that I was looking for more of a overview of the war, these essays left a lot of the basic information out, thus many times I felt that I was not getting the full story or even that I was lost.
I also have a hang up with books that are written in this method - a different author does each chapter. I tend to be bothered by the different writing styles and sometimes not complete follow through of the subject / topic. With these statements made, the book is a well-written document on the war. The illustrations are very interesting and bring a good deal of life to the topic. The editor places the pictures and illustrations though out the book. I found the chapters on the Eastern / Western fronts and the entry of the American's to be the most interesting.
So if you are like me with a marginal interest in the war and are looking for a well-written overview this is not the book for you. But if you are a WW 1 history buff then you will probably get a lot of enjoyment out of this book and you should disregard my review.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Economic analysis essays excellent
6 Jun 1999
Format:Hardcover
The essays dealing with economics were excellent. The writers pointed out that the US was holding much of the allies' treasury bills, especially England's; in fact, the Federal Reserve Board warned US banks in 1918 of holding too many of the Allies' securites. The discussion on the peace negotiations and treaties was also excellent, pointing out the problem was not placing harsh terms on the Germans, but not enforcing the treaty. The writers also correctly linked both World Wars together into a 30 year war, and pointed out that Germany never accepted that it had lost the War. I also agreed with the book's premise that the US retreating into isolationism was the first domino sending the world to the 2nd world war. They logically portrayed how the belligerents' ending positioned set up World War II.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Pretty good but not for beginers
15 July 2005
Format:Paperback
I bought this book because I was hoping for more of a overview of WWI. I've read a lot about WWII and always have found it useful to read something general first, then identify the elements you found really intersting and go buy a focused book on those aspects.
This is not really a beginers overview at all. It is a collection of writings by some apparantly well qualified scholars. Some parts are still very interesting from a beginers point of view, but the fact that it isn't really chronological is a little annoying. There is a chapter on the Central Powers strategy, a chapter on the war on the western front, a chapter on the effect on women, a chapter on the economic impact of the war, etc.
I think it is probably a really good book, it is just a tad advanced for a beginner like me. I probably should have paid more attention before buying it.
One other minor complaint is that that although the book has a ton of pictures (which is good), the captions are not great. For example, there will be a picture of 8 people standing there and the caption will tell you that one is an Italian general, who is talking to his king, but it won't tell you who is who (e.g. the King is the 3rd from the left). You just kinda have to guess who is who based on how old/important they look.
This is not really a beginers overview at all. It is a collection of writings by some apparantly well qualified scholars. Some parts are still very interesting from a beginers point of view, but the fact that it isn't really chronological is a little annoying. There is a chapter on the Central Powers strategy, a chapter on the war on the western front, a chapter on the effect on women, a chapter on the economic impact of the war, etc.
I think it is probably a really good book, it is just a tad advanced for a beginner like me. I probably should have paid more attention before buying it.
One other minor complaint is that that although the book has a ton of pictures (which is good), the captions are not great. For example, there will be a picture of 8 people standing there and the caption will tell you that one is an Italian general, who is talking to his king, but it won't tell you who is who (e.g. the King is the 3rd from the left). You just kinda have to guess who is who based on how old/important they look.
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