Fighting the Great War: A Global History

by Michael S. Neiberg

Despair at Gallipoli. Victory at Vimy Ridge. A European generation lost, an American spirit found. The First World War, the deadly herald of a new era, continues to captivate readers. In this lively book, Michael Neiberg offers a concise history based on the latest research and insights into the soldiers, commanders, battles, and legacies of the Great War.Tracing the war from Verdun to Salonika to Baghdad to German East Africa, Neiberg illuminates the global nature of the conflict. More than four years of mindless slaughter in the trenches on the western front, World War I was the first fought in three in the air, at sea, and through mechanized ground warfare. New weapons systems--tanks, bomber aircraft, and long-range artillery--all shaped the battle environment. Moving beyond the standard portrayal of the war's generals as "butchers and bunglers," Neiberg offers a nuanced discussion of officers constrained by the monumental scale of complex events. Diaries and letters of men serving on the front lines capture the personal stories and brutal conditions--from Alpine snows to Mesopotamian sands--under which these soldiers lived, fought, and died.

Genres: History, World War I, Nonfiction, Military History, War

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2005

About the author

Michael S. Neiberg is the Stimson Chair of the Department of National Security and Strategy at the US Army War College. He has also taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy and the University of Southern Mississippi.

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding overview of the campaigns, triggers and events of the Great War. Neiberg presents a thoughtful analysis of how and why events happened and particularly valuable, how lessons from one engagement were carried forward (or not) by the troops and commanders through the conflict. The writing style is easy to follow without being overly conversational. Pictures are well chosen and diagrams/maps provided when necessary.

Neiberg works through each major time period of the conflict covering all the fronts, providing an easy to follow understanding of the strategic dilemmas commanders and political leaders were looking at at the time, which allows for a better understanding of why certain decisions were made and their impact on future operations.

I found this to be particularly valuable having recently read Keegan's First World War. The data from Keegan was more readily understood through the lens Nieberg provides.

This would be a particularly valuable book to either read as a jumping off point for further exploration, or as a more strategic/analytic look after having read one of the denser histories of the conflict.

Recommended.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books I found that gives a good overview of World War 1. I have been looking for a book that gives an interesting overview and doesn't get bogged down in long descriptions of battles. Doesn't get bogged down in endless descriptions of battles. Its very readable for someone trying to learn the basics of the war.

[Steve Dyster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historiography of the Great War has seen a move from the many detailed personal accounts that dominated the bookshelves in the nineteen-eighties, to a broader, often revisionist approach. That it has done so does not invalidate the former.

This is a general history, covering all fronts, and keeping an eye on the strategic whole. A more detail approach appears briefly - to demonstrate important aspects of the fighting and the General's
decision-making - but serves one;y a starting point for those who want to know more about particular campaigns or fronts.

One aspect I found particularly interesting was the picture Neiberg offers of Haig and his Army commanders; likewise of the relations between the Allies at different levels. As an American historian, I'd expected him to write a good deal about the activities of the US Army. Good thing, too, as there is often little more than a quick reference in some histories. Not that the author is distracted from the balance his work demands.

I'd like to have see the maps made larger and, in some cases, with less detail.

A good, readable, general history.

Check out the author on You Tube, too.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a textbook for a comparative world wars course. Make of that what you will. It is a roughly chronological retelling of the many political, economic and humanitarian concerns of the first world war. I found it interesting to read, compared to other textbooks. I liked that the author provides direct quotes from participants and witnesses to the war. This helps the reader gain an in-depth understanding by commenting not only on the conditions of any particular event but also considering the psychology of the participants and how that may or may not have been an important factor.

[Jean Mehochko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about the Great War, World War I. It took a while to read because there are MANY place names, dates, people and events to keep track of in order to understand this war. I thought the author did a good job of presenting causes and effects, the motivation behind the commanders' actions, and the suffering of the actual soldiers. I came away with a much better understanding of this war. I wish it had been the last one . . .

[Alexander Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summary of the day to day events during the four year long "war to end all wars." It covers it all, the Western front, the Eastern front, the Italian front, Naval battles, African battles and the participation of countries which indeed did make this a World War. The Great War was always more intriguing to me because unlike WWII, the combatants had little idea of why they were involved in this titanic struggle, which set the table for the 20th century.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading "Back to the Front" by Stephen O'Shea, a walking tour of the WWI battlegrounds, I wanted to learn more about the war. Michael S. Neiberg's book, 364 pages long, provides a condensed history and gives a well written description of the battlegrounds, politicians, and generals. Good overview.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and balanced overview of the Great War.

[Kirk Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very competent book and concise, and quite good for getting the picture of World War I quickly. The prose has none of the magic of some other writers, but I remained interested.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Textbook for a WWI class. Excellent readable synopsis of the war.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is especially clear and concise, while still giving a fantastic overview of the war. It gave me a great introduction without feeling too dense or difficult to understand.

[vin .ᐟ (hiatus)]

i forgot to mark this as finished !!! but hey it was a very informative read

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a straightforward description of the onset, battles, personalities and eventual outcome of WWI. I read it to learn more of this history.

[Emma Ranheim · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to know what happened during WWI, read this book. If you want actual intellectual stimulation don't read this book.

[Bart Breen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Little Shallow, but Good for a One Volume Work

I purchased this work to help me understand better the experience of my Grandfather who fought for Canada in WWI. Canada recently declassified WWI military records and so I was able to obtain his records and trace his training and movements throughout the war. I was most interested in the activities at Vimy Ridge where my grandfather was wounded in late 1916. After recuperating he was reassigned to the Canadian Forestry Corps and remained in France until the conclusion of the war.

As a history buff, I'm aware of how difficult it is to write a short work without being criticized for being shallow and so I did not expect a great deal of depth coming in. The book was well written however and it provided a very good overview of the broad themes and events of the war and gave good insight into how events tied together. WWI is often not given the attention of WWII or the American Civil War because it ultimately ended with no real resolution and left enough in place that WWII had to arise and be fought to bring the issues to final resolution.

Nevertheless there is much in the world today that cannot be fully understood and appreciated without the history of WWI to put things in context. In particular, much of the landscape for the Middle East today was greatly affected by WWI and in particular British foreign policy which traded long term interests in the region for strategic short term gains on the battle fields.

The final chapters do have a feeling of being rushed to complete things either on a deadline or due to page limitations. The final summation of how things resolved in 1918 to make WWII inevitable is stated as fact without a great deal of explanation as to how that is true.

I've not read many 1 volume military books however that do a better job of leaving the reader with a good framework to understand things broadly. It left me hungry for more and especially to focus upon the battles and fronts fought in by my Grandfather and that is all to the good.

Well worth the read, in this reviewer's opinion. Treat it as an introduction to go on to learn more and you'll find yourself well prepared.

Bart Breen

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading several novels set around the World War I time period, I was looking for something that would give me a better understanding of the war and the impact it had on society afterwards. This book appealed to me because it wasn't lengthy and had pictures and maps. But I read the book closely and enjoyed it because it was well-written and thoughtful. It also changed my mind about some things . . . I started thinking about what it must have been like for France to be the battlefield for the war. I tend to be British centered in my thinking & had not comprehended that French losses were higher than British (in terms of property, security, as well as population). Also I've read over and over that WWII was caused by the harsh terms of the armistice that Britain and France (particularly France) forced on Germany, particularly injust since it was an armistice, not a surrender. But Neiberg makes clear that the Allies were very capable of quickly invading Germany at the time of the armistice and Germany was frantic to prevent that -- also, the war was clearly instigated by Germany and some of their WWII brutal tactics (resettlement, war on civilians, etc.) were used in WWI. Neiberg does cover the Eastern Front with Russia, Gallipoli and other battles with Ottoman Empire and even has a few pages about the war in Africa but I still felt the "global history" subtitle was misleading; the book concentrates on the Western Front.

[Keith W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent, clear, well-written overview of World War I. If you have never read anything about the Great War before, this is an excellent place to start or, if you have read about the war in the past and want to brush up on your knowledge, this is an excellent refresher. Although this is a survey rather than an in-depth study, Prof. Neiberg does a fine job of adding enough detail to make the story interesting. I particularly enjoyed his explanations of how each side learned from their mistakes in past battles and campaigns to refine their tactics and try a different approach in future battles. It was also interesting to read how the war changed and evolved and became a different struggle as time wore on. Partly this was due to the introduction and greater use of new weapons (e.g., aircraft and tanks) but it was also due to an evolution in thinking on the part of the generals. My only criticism of the book is that its explanation of why the Great Powers went to war in the first place is too short and superficial. However, the title is "Fighting the Great War" so I suppose I should have known, going in, that the causes would not be a focus. All in all, I was very impressed with how well Prof. Neiberg accomplished what he set out to do in this book.

[Mark Singer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief dry history of a big subject. There are better one-volume histories of the First World War; see The First World War by Hew Strachan.

[Mandee Bellarosa]

Too dry for the dead of winter. I will revisit again some day.

[Sean Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, but still suffers from the Anglo concentration upon the Western Front. Also, the concluding chapter falls flat.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough read, but worth it