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Available
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Publication
New York : DK Publishing, 2014.
Description
World War I was a conflict on an epic scale which left an indelible mark on the collective memory of countries that lost a generation of young men. This visually stunning book recounts the course of the war in vivid detail, re-creating the experience of titanic battles such as Gallipoli, the Somme, and Verdun, and documenting the firsthand accounts of combatants and civilians. Authoritative and packed with compelling images, it offers a true understanding of a war that changed the course of history.--From publisher description.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MathMaverick
An excellent book for both reference and reading. An account of the major events, places and players in World War 1. Very typical of a Dorling-Kindersley (DK) book in its use of devoting two facing pages to a topic/theme. Each pair of pages typically contains a main section of text and multiple
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picture (along with a short description). In all there are seven chapters (pre-war, each year of the war (1914-1918) and post war). I read the book from start to finish and found it captivating, interesting and informative. The book provides a good introduction and overview of all of the major battles, identifying the key players and the battle field (via maps) to illustrate movements, ground gained/lost and strategic areas. Many of the major players have a two page section devoted to them, providing their life time-line and key contributions to the war. In addition, many of the two page sections had a short before and after paragraph describing what took place immediately before and after the featured event. This provided a stand-alone element to each page, allowing one to get a good idea of what led up to the event and what was to follow. This book is not a complete detailed review of the war with critial analysis (it wasn't intended to be). Instead, it is a great introduction to the war divided into short, concise and very informative sections. An excellent read! Show Less
LibraryThing member RandyStafford
I knew this would be a pretty book. It’s a DK product after all.
But I was skeptical of the depth of its history. But, after it was recommended by the hardcore students of the war on the Roads to the Great War blog, I took a look.
This is a superb, one volume primer on the war, suitable to both
You would expect it to contain a “causes for the war” section, but it also covers some of the aftermath of the war up to 1923 as well as the world’s war memorials and museums.
The test I give “big picture” books like this is to pick a few topics at random and see if they are covered.
The Japanese fleet in the Mediterranean? Yes.
The tens of thousands of African porters who died during the war? Yes.
The bizarre German mission to Kabul to talk the Afghans into attacking India? No.
The importance of the German ships Goeben and Breslau in pulling Turkey into the war? Yes.
The specifics of stormtrooper tactics? Yes.
The Livens Large Gallery Flame Projector? No. (A custom built, stationary flamethrower which put flames out to 40 meters. I didn't know about it until I watched Breathing Fire: Secret Weapon of the Somme.)
There’s no bibliography, but, really, how hard is it to find more World War One material if your appetite is whetted for more?
But I was skeptical of the depth of its history. But, after it was recommended by the hardcore students of the war on the Roads to the Great War blog, I took a look.
This is a superb, one volume primer on the war, suitable to both
Show More
students of the war and those totally ignorant of it. The maps are superb. Important personalities, battles, and campaigns get their own two page spreads. The same is true for important weapons.You would expect it to contain a “causes for the war” section, but it also covers some of the aftermath of the war up to 1923 as well as the world’s war memorials and museums.
The test I give “big picture” books like this is to pick a few topics at random and see if they are covered.
The Japanese fleet in the Mediterranean? Yes.
The tens of thousands of African porters who died during the war? Yes.
The bizarre German mission to Kabul to talk the Afghans into attacking India? No.
The importance of the German ships Goeben and Breslau in pulling Turkey into the war? Yes.
The specifics of stormtrooper tactics? Yes.
The Livens Large Gallery Flame Projector? No. (A custom built, stationary flamethrower which put flames out to 40 meters. I didn't know about it until I watched Breathing Fire: Secret Weapon of the Somme.)
There’s no bibliography, but, really, how hard is it to find more World War One material if your appetite is whetted for more?
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LibraryThing member Big_Bang_Gorilla
This is a definitive coffee-table book level survey of the war, and doesn't do at all poorly as serious history in the bargain. The book is modular with no narrative continuity beyond the usual format of two-page spreads dealing with various battles, campaigns, technologies, or social and political
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effects. These modules are themselves broken into modules, usually bookended by "Before" and "After" the main event described. The book's only problem, besides a few typos, is readability. The book's print is rather fine, and the print of the maps even finer, as well as too often being set on a pastel background, so readability is at best moderate. Similarly, the modules can be rather jumbled, and the picture captions, also in fine print, take longer to find than they ought. Among the many rewards of the book, I was particularly happy with the emphases placed on other fronts besides the Western; even third world areas are given a once-over for each year. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeaconBernie
This is a prodigious work. While the overall history is quite well known, this book fills in many details. Its scope is almost as broad as the entire world. It is strictly history lacking any hint of political righteousness. But it is not an easy read ... it does require close attention. It is not
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packed with minuscule detail but it does leave one with unanswered questions. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2014
Physical description
360 p.; 32 cm
ISBN
9781465419385