An Incomplete History of World War I

by Edwin Kiester Jr.

An Incomplete History of World War I Edwin Jr. Kiester Hardcover Barnes & Noble

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each standalone chapter is basically a snapshot of different aspects of the war -- the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, gas attacks, lake battles in Africa, naval warfare, the invention of the tank, the beginnings of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, the toll of the flu epidemic of 1918 -- and each one is interesting, entertaining, and engaging. As the title makes clear, the book doesn't attempt to be a comprehensive history, but it does a great job giving the reader a feel for the scope of the war and its impact in so many parts of the world.

I would have given it more stars except that after the chapter on "The Bloke with the Donk" had me sobbing over my granola one morning at breakfast, I got on the internet to find out more about the story, and read that the primary source for it was book of propaganda published in 1916, and that it was an exaggerated account that has been repeated by historians who haven't dug further into the facts.

Bummer.

Between that and a few minor yet obvious grammatical and lexical errors, I found myself unable to fully trust that the rest of the book had been sufficiently edited and fact-checked. It's really entertaining though.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

While wars are major historical events that move in ways that can defy understanding, all wars are fought by people. There are people on the front lines, people in the rear areas, people making strategic and political decisions, and people trying desperately to avoid all the rest. This book, as you may be able to guess from the name, is not a full history of World War I. Nor does it try to be. Instead, this book is a collection of 24 short stories about people. Many of these stories are about specific people, and how they chose to act during the war, bringing either fame or notoriety upon themselves. Other stories are about groups of people (specific military units, perhaps) and the fates they encountered during the war. I learned some new things in this book. So, while this book is not recommended for anyone needing a broad overview of the course of the war, this book is recommended for readers interested in more specific stories of specific people and how the war impacted the lives of different folk around the globe.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book filled with unusual short stories on World War One. It is an easy read yet filled with interesting facts many of which I was unfamiliar with, even considering I am a student of the conflict.

Interesting facts like that the day the Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were shot was also their wedding anniversary and how the German thrust on Paris was halted by French troops travelling to the front by taxi all make the book a very interesting read.

If you are student of the period then I recommend the book as an entertaining read and something where you may actually learn something about the conflict that you didn't already know!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially I chose this book to get the complete concept of World War I.
It turned out to be a book based more on trivia than on major battles and concepts, making it an interesting, though indeed incomplete, history of WWI.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book on WWI. Each of the 24 chapters focuses on an incident or facet of the war, including how taxis saved Paris, the Christmas armistice, poison gas, and Hitler's first war. It was an engrossing read.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book that gives the reader a chapter size dose of World War I. Each chapter is dedicated to an incident or environment very essential to understanding of this history altering war. All chapters are thoroughly captivating.

Worth the time invested in reading and richer for it.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief stories from WWI--not a history, but rather vignettes involving interesting people and events.

[Timothy]

a little too incomplete to make sense

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little bit-sized morsels of WWI history. yum.