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The First World War
This book is an insightful narrative history, focusing on why the First World War occurred, how it was fought, and why it had the consequences it did. It examines in turn the state of Europe in 1914 and the outbreak of war; the onset of attrition in 1915 and the extension of the war; the 'crisis of the war' (1917-18), the collapse of Russia and the weakening and eventual surrender of the Central Powers; the making of peace; and the historical controversies surrounding the causes and conduct of war.
176 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2002
284 people are currently reading
2592 people want to read
About the author
Michael Eliot Howard
61 books78 followersSir Michael Eliot Howard was an English military historian, formerly Chichele Professor of the History of War, Honorary Fellow of All Souls College, Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford, Robert A. Lovett Professor of Military and Naval History at Yale University, and founder of the Department of War Studies, King's College London.
In 1958, he co-founded the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
In 2013, Howard was described in the Financial Times as "Britain's greatest living historian". The Guardian described him as "Britain's foremost expert on conflict".
In 1958, he co-founded the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
In 2013, Howard was described in the Financial Times as "Britain's greatest living historian". The Guardian described him as "Britain's foremost expert on conflict".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
February 18, 2020
كتاب جيد إلى حد ما عن الحرب العالمية الاولى، ربما يعيب الكتاب تركيزه على المعارك الدائرة في أوروبا بينما امتدت آثار تلك الحرب إلى أماكن كثيرة خارج القارة العجوز، فضلا عن سوء الترجمة أحيانا
October 6, 2016
I like Oxford's series "A Very Short Introduction", and have so far not been disappointed with any of them.
I generally like to read them as a refresher before embarking on a more detailed study of a topic. But this time, I actually read it to get back to seeing the big lines in history after having spent a lot of time looking at every detail of the war through the lens of Churchill's The World Crisis, 1911-1918.
It is a concise and interesting account of the time, starting with the cursed alliances, the arm's race and the psychological mindset of European leaders at the turn of the century, and then moving at a fast pace through the different stages of the war, from the early slogans that the war would be over by Christmas 1914, to the complete deadlock in the trenches of the Western Front and the gradual attrition of all armies. We follow the development of the war, see the effect of the unrestricted submarine warfare, the diplomatic disaster of the Zimmermann note, and the late commitment of the USA. We see the causes of the collapse of the Ottoman and Austrian empires, and of revolution in Russia, and finally witness the abdication of the emperor in Germany and the Treaty of Versailles with all its flaws.
The book closes with the well-known caricature of the three statesmen that have just agreed upon the terms of Versailles, and then hear a child crying in the background, mourning the "class of 1940", thus foreseeing the consequences of the war and the "peace" treaty - a new world war within twenty years.
As my students would say: this book gives you the facts, but you will have to add some literature, art and other documents to get a full picture of the disaster of the First World War, which changed the world forever.
Worthwhile read!
I generally like to read them as a refresher before embarking on a more detailed study of a topic. But this time, I actually read it to get back to seeing the big lines in history after having spent a lot of time looking at every detail of the war through the lens of Churchill's The World Crisis, 1911-1918.
It is a concise and interesting account of the time, starting with the cursed alliances, the arm's race and the psychological mindset of European leaders at the turn of the century, and then moving at a fast pace through the different stages of the war, from the early slogans that the war would be over by Christmas 1914, to the complete deadlock in the trenches of the Western Front and the gradual attrition of all armies. We follow the development of the war, see the effect of the unrestricted submarine warfare, the diplomatic disaster of the Zimmermann note, and the late commitment of the USA. We see the causes of the collapse of the Ottoman and Austrian empires, and of revolution in Russia, and finally witness the abdication of the emperor in Germany and the Treaty of Versailles with all its flaws.
The book closes with the well-known caricature of the three statesmen that have just agreed upon the terms of Versailles, and then hear a child crying in the background, mourning the "class of 1940", thus foreseeing the consequences of the war and the "peace" treaty - a new world war within twenty years.
As my students would say: this book gives you the facts, but you will have to add some literature, art and other documents to get a full picture of the disaster of the First World War, which changed the world forever.
Worthwhile read!
December 1, 2019
Este es un libro ideal para poder aprender sobre la historia de la primera guerra mundial o la Gran Guerra, como realmente se le conoció en su momento.
Howard hace un trabajo realmente muy bueno explicando de manera breve y concisa cada elemento y situación que se fue generando en su momento para que los países involucrados terminarán en esta guerra.
Después nos va relatando, también de manera concisa, incluso abreviada sobre todo lo ocurrido en torno a está guerra, Howard no pretende y lo dice en su prologo entrar en muchos de los grandes temas controversiales que rondan respecto tanto al inicio, prolongación y final de los hechos de está guerra, si no mas bien nos presenta hechos conocidos y por demás comprobables, cada batalla ganada, cada batalla perdida y como fue el controversial termino de ésta en el muy conocido tratado de Versalles.
No es el primer libro que leo sobre el tema y es verdad que Howard no relata temas por demás conocidos, simplemente se aviene a hechos relacionados con la misma guerra y la manera en que se fueron desarrollando los eventos.
Ha sido una buena lectura, amena, interesante y entretenida, nada cargada y fácil de comprender, habrá personas que al leer este libro pudieran sentir que le faltan algunas cosas o que no entra en muchos detalles, pero ha sido precisamente lo breve y específico que ha sido lo que me ha gustado a mí.
Howard hace un trabajo realmente muy bueno explicando de manera breve y concisa cada elemento y situación que se fue generando en su momento para que los países involucrados terminarán en esta guerra.
Después nos va relatando, también de manera concisa, incluso abreviada sobre todo lo ocurrido en torno a está guerra, Howard no pretende y lo dice en su prologo entrar en muchos de los grandes temas controversiales que rondan respecto tanto al inicio, prolongación y final de los hechos de está guerra, si no mas bien nos presenta hechos conocidos y por demás comprobables, cada batalla ganada, cada batalla perdida y como fue el controversial termino de ésta en el muy conocido tratado de Versalles.
No es el primer libro que leo sobre el tema y es verdad que Howard no relata temas por demás conocidos, simplemente se aviene a hechos relacionados con la misma guerra y la manera en que se fueron desarrollando los eventos.
Ha sido una buena lectura, amena, interesante y entretenida, nada cargada y fácil de comprender, habrá personas que al leer este libro pudieran sentir que le faltan algunas cosas o que no entra en muchos detalles, pero ha sido precisamente lo breve y específico que ha sido lo que me ha gustado a mí.
May 6, 2024
كتاب سلس يُحدثنا عن أحداث ما قبل الحرب، وأثنائها، وما بعدها بإيجاز ..
November 16, 2017
Un buen compendio teniendo en cuenta su reducida extensión. Una muy buena introducción al tema, que da un barniz general sobre los orígenes, el desarrollo y las consecuencias de la Primera Guerra Mundial, permitiendo tener una buena visión general en muy poco tiempo.
Lógicamente, como contrapartida, se queda muy corto en los detalles, y se le podrían pedir más cosas, aunque a costa, por supuesto, de más páginas (es imposible condensarlo aún más, repito que es brevísimo). Por ejemplo, alguna nota sobre la vida en el frente, sobre los sufrimientos de los soldados durante los largos años de guerra de trincheras. O algún detallito, por pequeño que sea, sobre batallas históricas como la de Gallipoli, Verdún o el Somme, que se liquidan apenas en un par de páginas. Pero tampoco es grave: yo he completado esa falta de datos puntuales con alguna que otra excursión a la wikipedia alternada con la lectura del libro, y de esta forma el resultado es bastante satisfactorio.
Mi error ha sido no haber leído este libro antes que "Los cañones de agosto", creo que lo hubiera valorado más y entendido mejor teniendo antes esta visión general. Por supuesto, es un libro que se quedará cortísimo para los que ya tengan un cierto conocimiento global de este primer conflicto mundial, pero es muy recomendable para los que busquen, como yo, revestir su ignorancia sobre el tema con una pátina de conocimientos para ir tirando ;-)
Por cierto, hubiera estado muy bien mantener en la edición en español el subtítulo original: "A very short introduction". Da una muy buena idea de lo que puede uno esperar de este texto.
Lógicamente, como contrapartida, se queda muy corto en los detalles, y se le podrían pedir más cosas, aunque a costa, por supuesto, de más páginas (es imposible condensarlo aún más, repito que es brevísimo). Por ejemplo, alguna nota sobre la vida en el frente, sobre los sufrimientos de los soldados durante los largos años de guerra de trincheras. O algún detallito, por pequeño que sea, sobre batallas históricas como la de Gallipoli, Verdún o el Somme, que se liquidan apenas en un par de páginas. Pero tampoco es grave: yo he completado esa falta de datos puntuales con alguna que otra excursión a la wikipedia alternada con la lectura del libro, y de esta forma el resultado es bastante satisfactorio.
Mi error ha sido no haber leído este libro antes que "Los cañones de agosto", creo que lo hubiera valorado más y entendido mejor teniendo antes esta visión general. Por supuesto, es un libro que se quedará cortísimo para los que ya tengan un cierto conocimiento global de este primer conflicto mundial, pero es muy recomendable para los que busquen, como yo, revestir su ignorancia sobre el tema con una pátina de conocimientos para ir tirando ;-)
Por cierto, hubiera estado muy bien mantener en la edición en español el subtítulo original: "A very short introduction". Da una muy buena idea de lo que puede uno esperar de este texto.
December 2, 2017
Como recopilatorio breve y conciso sobre la Primera Guerra Mundial cumple sobradamente. Aunque el título en español no lo indique, en inglés ya avisa de que es una “breve introducción”. Como estudio más profundo sobre la contienda se quedaría muy corto, pero para los que tenemos una idea más ó menos aproximada sobre el origen y el desarrollo de la misma, cumple como recordatorio de los hechos más importantes. Quién quiera conocer otros detalles más complejos, tales como el impacto social sobre la población, la repercusión final en cada país participante, el día a día de los combatientes e incluso las causas primigenias que hicieron estallar este holocausto mundial, tendrá que indagar en otras fuentes. Para mí ha sido una lectura muy válida, de ahí mis cuatro estrellas.
January 25, 2025
Excelente y primoroso resumen de la Primera Guerra Mundial. Un resumen de este calibre, en menos de 200 páginas, entendible, conciso, perfecto para no iniciados en el tema, etc, etc etc ... solo puede hacerlo alguien muy muy versado en el tema, y con mucha capacidad de comunicación y concisión, además de rigurosidad. Obvio que en tan poco espacio no puedes darle profundidad, pero es el mejor libro de iniciación que pude haber encontrado.
Tras un análisis y puesta en escena de la situación de cada potencia involucrada en la Gran Guerra durante 1914, vamos a ir viendo como, año a año (los capítulos prácticamente están divididos por año de guerra), va desarrollándose la Guerra, las alianzas, las principales batallas y los acuerdos finales.
Recomendación absoluta para quien quiera iniciarse en la 1ª Guerra Mundial, una guerra que nadie quería.
Tras un análisis y puesta en escena de la situación de cada potencia involucrada en la Gran Guerra durante 1914, vamos a ir viendo como, año a año (los capítulos prácticamente están divididos por año de guerra), va desarrollándose la Guerra, las alianzas, las principales batallas y los acuerdos finales.
Recomendación absoluta para quien quiera iniciarse en la 1ª Guerra Mundial, una guerra que nadie quería.
May 13, 2013
The First World War is by far the lesser known of the two major 20th century military conflicts that bear the name of a World War. This is partly due to the fact that it is the earlier of the two wars and thus farther from our collective memories. More importantly, in my opinion, is the fact that it was a war much more limited in scope – both in terms of the geographical extent of the conflict, as well as the impact it had on the civilian populations. It was, in many respects, a very “static” war. The advancements in the military technology had far outpaced the advancements in the military strategy. Nonetheless it was a war that caused an enormous number of casualties and it had sawn the seeds for the future cataclysm of World War II.
This very short introduction is an interesting and engaging introduction the World War I. The author is clearly an expert on this subject, and he manages to present a very coherent and unifying picture of this conflict. The writing is fluid, and all fans of good historical writings would certainly enjoy this book.
The book covers all the main causes of the World War I and it shows why the ever-increasing tension between the main European powers made the conflict all but inevitable. It covers some major turning points in the war, as well as the more ambiguous battle results that could have changed the course of the war had they not come at such heavy prices. It gives a fair and, to the best of my knowledge, unbiased account of the main developments involving all sides in the conflict. I was particularly intrigued with the account of the dramatic changes and personnel adjustments in the German highest-ranking military staff, something that I didn’t know anything about until I had read this book.
This is a great book at every level and one that I would strongly recommend to anyone who wishes to know more about the First World War.
This very short introduction is an interesting and engaging introduction the World War I. The author is clearly an expert on this subject, and he manages to present a very coherent and unifying picture of this conflict. The writing is fluid, and all fans of good historical writings would certainly enjoy this book.
The book covers all the main causes of the World War I and it shows why the ever-increasing tension between the main European powers made the conflict all but inevitable. It covers some major turning points in the war, as well as the more ambiguous battle results that could have changed the course of the war had they not come at such heavy prices. It gives a fair and, to the best of my knowledge, unbiased account of the main developments involving all sides in the conflict. I was particularly intrigued with the account of the dramatic changes and personnel adjustments in the German highest-ranking military staff, something that I didn’t know anything about until I had read this book.
This is a great book at every level and one that I would strongly recommend to anyone who wishes to know more about the First World War.
December 17, 2016
Αυτό το βιβλίο στάζει ζουμί από όποιο σημείο κι αν το πιάσεις.
Εξαιρετική λεπτομέρεια, καθαρή γραφή, πλούσιο και απέριττο.
Σημείο αναφοράς, σχολική ύλη, το απόλυτο "πρέπει να έχω".
Νιώθω πνευματικά πλουσιότερος.
Εξαιρετική λεπτομέρεια, καθαρή γραφή, πλούσιο και απέριττο.
Σημείο αναφοράς, σχολική ύλη, το απόλυτο "πρέπει να έχω".
Νιώθω πνευματικά πλουσιότερος.
April 19, 2018
He explains it all as a story, using general terms and moving chronologically, speaking in broad strokes like, “the British thought this.” This helped kept things simple. While I admit there is much nuance left out, I think this book is great for what it tries to do. I admire Howard’s resistance against getting lost in details. This book is a good resource for any junior high / high schooler learning about the war for the first time — it would need to be supplemented with cultural studies and personal narratives, but it provides a good framework within which one can place details.
May 23, 2019
This book was very informative. I thought it was interesting learning about how diplomatic relations are like an ever-changing puzzle. At first the book focuses on a few years leading up to the war, when everyone felt war was inevitable and they were sort of just waiting for it to be officially declared, then it focuses on each country and how they were doing throughout the entirety of the war, and it also talks about specific battles that were particularly significant. It seems like this author is biased against the German people, and the Central Powers in general. It portrayed Germany as being heartless and barbaric: "Seeing saboteurs and francs-tireurs even when they not exist, German troops took and shot an estimated 5,000 Belgian civilians and indiscriminately set fire to buildings, including those of the medieval university of Louvain." Overall it portrayed Britain and the US as being saviors (calling President Woodrow Wilson a "Prophet of Peace.")
I learned that with the quick advances in technology and weaponry, a lot of the leaders of the war had no idea how to "do war" anymore. It was a huge learning curve that cost millions of lives as they learned effective defensive/offensive techniques.
One theme from the book was how nationalist the people of the world had become. For example, when the boat Lusitania was sunk by the Germans, killing 128 Americans and over 1,000 others, the US decided that if they were going to enter the war, it would be on the side of the Allies (even though they didn't consider themselves true allies with any of those countries!) Nationalism played a huge part in the organization of the book (talking about each country in turn).
I wish this book had included something about the soldiers themselves--perhaps some journal entries or something. I also wish something about shell shock and post traumatic stress had been mentioned.
Overall, a good read. Very dense, but also incredibly informative and pretty interesting.
I learned that with the quick advances in technology and weaponry, a lot of the leaders of the war had no idea how to "do war" anymore. It was a huge learning curve that cost millions of lives as they learned effective defensive/offensive techniques.
One theme from the book was how nationalist the people of the world had become. For example, when the boat Lusitania was sunk by the Germans, killing 128 Americans and over 1,000 others, the US decided that if they were going to enter the war, it would be on the side of the Allies (even though they didn't consider themselves true allies with any of those countries!) Nationalism played a huge part in the organization of the book (talking about each country in turn).
I wish this book had included something about the soldiers themselves--perhaps some journal entries or something. I also wish something about shell shock and post traumatic stress had been mentioned.
Overall, a good read. Very dense, but also incredibly informative and pretty interesting.
December 27, 2022
Michael Howard (2007) pens an excellent summary which allows me to gain a foothold into the subject. I found it a critical read as popular knowledge accessible to English readers and viewers is Anglo centric and emphasises the Western Front. Also the state of imperial multi-ethnic territories are not clear to Cold War audiences.
So much of the origins of WW2 lie in WW1 that every student of the global hostilities should acquire a fundamental grasp of WW1. I’m embarrassed I didn’t earlier, especially after picking this up. I found this very short introduction excellent from the first page.
The conciseness was striking after having perused several Wikipedia and YouTube resources. And being unfamiliar, I had to consult those for useful clarification which is why I took a long while to read this, slowly and deliberately. I also read Tammy Proctor’s “World War 1: A Short History” which covers social aspects and civilian impact.
Howard recommends James Joll’s “The Origins of the First World War” next, and I’m looking forward to that. But first, I can finally resume Barbara Tuchman, “The Guns of August”.
An eBook from NLB on Libby.
So much of the origins of WW2 lie in WW1 that every student of the global hostilities should acquire a fundamental grasp of WW1. I’m embarrassed I didn’t earlier, especially after picking this up. I found this very short introduction excellent from the first page.
The conciseness was striking after having perused several Wikipedia and YouTube resources. And being unfamiliar, I had to consult those for useful clarification which is why I took a long while to read this, slowly and deliberately. I also read Tammy Proctor’s “World War 1: A Short History” which covers social aspects and civilian impact.
Howard recommends James Joll’s “The Origins of the First World War” next, and I’m looking forward to that. But first, I can finally resume Barbara Tuchman, “The Guns of August”.
An eBook from NLB on Libby.
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March 19, 2023Read for a uni essay 😭
September 10, 2020
The very short introduction to the First World War by Howard was an interesting read. Though sometimes quite complex and confusing, probably caused by the complexity of the described events themselves and not Howard‘s style, I definitely learned a lot (a lot of which I perhaps should have already known or remembered from school...). Sometimes I did need to force myself a little bit to carry on reading, but I am glad I did and looking forward (a little) to reading the VSI to World War II.
September 8, 2016
Even though I study the First World War, there's plenty of stuff I don't know about it, or don't know well enough. I understand the general outline of it and, also generally, about certain battles. But I find this war pretty daunting to try and read about. This really hit me when I tried reading - for like the third time - Jack Sheldon's The German Army at Ypres 1914 and I had no idea what I was even reading. Not only because it was so detailed, but because I really didn't know enough about Ypres at all. So, I wanted something much more general.
And that is exactly what this book is. It covers the entire war - including all fronts, both war at sea and in the air, and bits of the home front - in broad terms. So you get a quick overview of battles and their outcomes without anything being too in-depth or complicated. And I really appreciated that. This isn't something you are going to use for a research paper or finish reading and think you're an expert on the First World War. It's simply a basic, but well done overview of a huge, and hugely complicated, war. While I did enjoy it, there's nothing that's exactly going to wow you either. It's just a good read for those looking for something along these lines before getting into more detailed books about the war.
And that is exactly what this book is. It covers the entire war - including all fronts, both war at sea and in the air, and bits of the home front - in broad terms. So you get a quick overview of battles and their outcomes without anything being too in-depth or complicated. And I really appreciated that. This isn't something you are going to use for a research paper or finish reading and think you're an expert on the First World War. It's simply a basic, but well done overview of a huge, and hugely complicated, war. While I did enjoy it, there's nothing that's exactly going to wow you either. It's just a good read for those looking for something along these lines before getting into more detailed books about the war.
February 19, 2011
A clear and concise history of the important events and details of WW1. Very helpful for those who, like me, went to high schools that skimped heavily on what exactly the first world war was all about (Franz Ferdinand shot! Trench warfare! Mustard gas! OKAY, ON TO WORLD WAR TWO, CHILDREN!). Some more definitions of key terms would have been helpful, though.
April 17, 2020
Amazing book. I had no background information before reading it. Now, I have a good knowledge about the main events of the first world war. The book is not boring like other history books. There are some difficult and war related words that i had to look at them in the dictionary. But overall, it is a nice book. I recommend it
January 26, 2025
I am struck by my unfamiliarity with the key events, diplomats, principal figures, battles, and regions germane to this first of two campaigns of European total war in the thirty years between the 1910s and the 1940s. This small volume began a chipping away at my ignorance on the subject, invigorating a desire to read a handful of more encompassing works on WWI.
In a small amount of space, this introduction highlights important issues for further investigation and study, such as: the influence of Clausewitz, the global scope of European colonial conquest and settlements, and the attendant consequences, which often lead to disputes and conflicts in the colonial periphery and the blowback of wars breaking out within the European core. The reader is provided with several sides of the debate revolving around the indemnities, reparations, and settlements that came out of the peace talks in Paris in 1919, where we are introduced to the infeasible demands placed upon Germany, in a failed attempt by France to strike a final punishing blow to keep Germany down. There is even a lone mention of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, perhaps the episode that will most animate my further examination of this period of international history.
The book was useful and should have been finished in two or three days, but I am too unfocused currently for that to have been accomplished. I would recommend this title to anyone wanting to gain a reasonable understanding of the importance of WWI, what it portends for us today, and how it can inform our much-needed study of WWII and the Cold War that sprang forth - carrying with it an odious legacy that hinders us in the present, for its ideological battles remain to to be settled.
Thus, below follows a short selection of books I will pursue to bolster a stronger grasp on the Great War, its antecedence, and consequences, plus lessons to be drawn into an analysis of our contemporary period (a lot of study and practice lies ahead):
1. Fromkin - A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East
2. Rogan - The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East
3. Hobsbawm - The Age of Empire, 1875–1914
4. Hobsbawm - The Age of Extremes, 1914-1991
5. Tuchman - The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914
6. Judson - The Habsburg Empire: A New History
7. Tuchman - The Guns of August
8. Hastings - Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War
—————
(7 of 10 | 3.5 down to 3 stars)
In a small amount of space, this introduction highlights important issues for further investigation and study, such as: the influence of Clausewitz, the global scope of European colonial conquest and settlements, and the attendant consequences, which often lead to disputes and conflicts in the colonial periphery and the blowback of wars breaking out within the European core. The reader is provided with several sides of the debate revolving around the indemnities, reparations, and settlements that came out of the peace talks in Paris in 1919, where we are introduced to the infeasible demands placed upon Germany, in a failed attempt by France to strike a final punishing blow to keep Germany down. There is even a lone mention of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, perhaps the episode that will most animate my further examination of this period of international history.
The book was useful and should have been finished in two or three days, but I am too unfocused currently for that to have been accomplished. I would recommend this title to anyone wanting to gain a reasonable understanding of the importance of WWI, what it portends for us today, and how it can inform our much-needed study of WWII and the Cold War that sprang forth - carrying with it an odious legacy that hinders us in the present, for its ideological battles remain to to be settled.
Thus, below follows a short selection of books I will pursue to bolster a stronger grasp on the Great War, its antecedence, and consequences, plus lessons to be drawn into an analysis of our contemporary period (a lot of study and practice lies ahead):
1. Fromkin - A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East
2. Rogan - The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East
3. Hobsbawm - The Age of Empire, 1875–1914
4. Hobsbawm - The Age of Extremes, 1914-1991
5. Tuchman - The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914
6. Judson - The Habsburg Empire: A New History
7. Tuchman - The Guns of August
8. Hastings - Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War
—————
(7 of 10 | 3.5 down to 3 stars)
August 4, 2023
Just over 130 pages long, it beautifully covers all that transpired over the course of those 4 years. The book offers brief insights into the history and the events that occured prior to the war for the Allied and Central powers. What might make this challenging to read would be a lack of knowledge about the geography of Europe before the war, given that many of the locations mentioned cease to exist anymore ( the author does include several maps in the beginning of the book to demonstrate how the landscape changed throughout history but it requires constant sifting which sometimes breaks the flow), along with the sheer number of individuals being introduced at a pace that might be difficult to cope up with. What it does exceptionally well is explain the stakes involved for each country that ended up fighting, sheer scale of loss endured by both sides and the changing political landscape across nations as the war continued. It doesn't try to take sides. This, it leaves on the reader to decide.
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January 27, 2025خلاصه خوبی بود؛ آنچه جسته و گریخته از بین فیلمها و رمانها و کتابها درباره جنگ جهانی اول میدانستم، برایم به هم پیوند داد. به همه جنبههای جنگ، اگر شده در یکی دو پاراگراف، پرداخته است؛ مثل زمینه شروع جنگ، نقش اقتصاد و صنعت در طولانی کردن جنگ، توصیف نبردهای مهم (که برای من جزو قسمتهای کسل کننده بود) و دلیل تاکتیکهای اتخاذ شده و اشارههای کوتاهی هم به نقش رسانه و فرهنگ در تهییج و جهت دادن به جنگ. نشان میدهد چطور همه ارکان جامعه برای سرویس دادن به جبهه، گاهی داوطلبانه، زیر نظر دولت بسیج شدند. یاد استدلالت رندولف بورن در کتاب دولت افتادم؛ که اتفاقا به دلیل شروع جنگ جهانی اول نوشته شده است.
تأملات:
ژنرالهای ارشد ارتش در همه کشورهای درگیر جنگ جهانی اول تبدیل به قهرمانان ملی شدند درست برخلاف جنگ ایران و عراق که در ایران، سران جنگ چندان اسمی در روزنامهها نداشتند، همه فقط سرباز اسلام بودند و زیر نظر خمینی- ای امام.
کتابهای تاریخ با یک موضوع مشخص خیلی راحتتر خوانده میشوند، بر خلاف تاریخهای عمومی مثل تاریخ قرن نوزدهم و...؛
لطفا یکی از اساتید و سروران چنین کتاب درباره مشروطه بنویسد. مرسی!؛
تأملات:
ژنرالهای ارشد ارتش در همه کشورهای درگیر جنگ جهانی اول تبدیل به قهرمانان ملی شدند درست برخلاف جنگ ایران و عراق که در ایران، سران جنگ چندان اسمی در روزنامهها نداشتند، همه فقط سرباز اسلام بودند و زیر نظر خمینی- ای امام.
کتابهای تاریخ با یک موضوع مشخص خیلی راحتتر خوانده میشوند، بر خلاف تاریخهای عمومی مثل تاریخ قرن نوزدهم و...؛
لطفا یکی از اساتید و سروران چنین کتاب درباره مشروطه بنویسد. مرسی!؛
August 31, 2018
I mean, does exactly what it says on the tin--it's a very short introduction to WWI, with special focus on the military aspects of the war (aka 'the things I find most boring about history'.) It did I guess have like... a section of a chapter dedicated to "homefront life" so good it on that front? I didn't find it super interesting, but someone who wants that military history crash course would probably like it way better than I did.
January 13, 2019
Brief and to the point. Just enough details about the political environment or the important battles to pique one's interest to go learn more about them. Recommended
May 10, 2020
A wonderful summary of a complex subject with such relevance for issues we face 100 years later.
September 24, 2020
Great intro to a war I've never been able to understand. What a messy slog it was! By the end of the book, you can see how so many geopolitical problems of the past 100 years were set in motion by this war.
dnf
January 20, 2022I love this series of Oxford Introductions, but this one's the most boring one I've read so far. Also possibly the most boring book I've read my entire life.
June 14, 2025
Great, very short summarization of the events of The Great War. Lots of good recommendations for further reading are provided as well. I like that, in his further reading section, the author highlights anglocentric sources and how to avoid falling into that trap.
December 23, 2020
By far the best one of all the books I have read in this nice little series.
April 3, 2024
Excelente breviario (que es lo que es), todo lo fundamental de este conflicto en poco más de 100 páginas, obvio le falta profundidad, pero no es el objetivo.
May 8, 2023
A dry but informative synopsis of the First World War. I listened via audiobook, and the narrator was decent.
February 16, 2021
es bueno solo que le falto la experiencia de los soldados osea su anécdota
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