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World War I: The "Great War"
18 CDs
Running Time: 18hrs 45min
Running Time: 18hrs 45min
19 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2006
35 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
23 books86 followersDistinguished Professor in the Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences
Biography
Professor Liulevicius specializes in modern German history, with a particular focus on German relations with Eastern Europe. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania in 1994 and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Peace, and Revolution from 1994-95. He has taught at the University of Tennessee since 1995. From 2008 to 2021, he served as the director of the Center for the Study of War and Society.
Biography
Professor Liulevicius specializes in modern German history, with a particular focus on German relations with Eastern Europe. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania in 1994 and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Peace, and Revolution from 1994-95. He has taught at the University of Tennessee since 1995. From 2008 to 2021, he served as the director of the Center for the Study of War and Society.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 12, 2025
Liulevicius' book has encouraged me to read more about THE war. After all, WWII was just a continuation of WWI; Hitler was a mutant of the dark side of the Kaiser: the Cold War and its current aftermath just the ashes and remaining embers of that whole 20th century conflagration, preparing the way through loss of competent Europeans of the migration of alternate cultures and races to take up the mantle. The study of these wars from Napoleon on is the narrative of the slow self-strangulation by the European culture, who got so far ahead of itself through brilliance and discovery, like a euphoric 2-year old, that it became depraved, depressed and defunct and destroyed itself.
January 24, 2025
Liulevicius’ emphasis on total war covers politics, society, culture, and their lasting transformations.
January 13, 2022
Disclaimer: I haven't read any other texts on World War I, so I can't speak to how this compares to other historians' compilations.
This course is structured, written, and narrated in a thorough and accessible manner that feels more academic than other popular war history surveys. Professor Liulevicius is a very articulate and engaging lecturer, making all the aspects covered in this course quite exciting. I would recommend this WWI course to anyone interested in learning more about this era and the critical aftereffects that in some ways still affect Western society today.
This course is structured, written, and narrated in a thorough and accessible manner that feels more academic than other popular war history surveys. Professor Liulevicius is a very articulate and engaging lecturer, making all the aspects covered in this course quite exciting. I would recommend this WWI course to anyone interested in learning more about this era and the critical aftereffects that in some ways still affect Western society today.
June 11, 2015
This is a superb course. Dr. Liulevicius is one of my favorite professors teaching on The Great Courses. This set is an indepth look at WWI, an important historical period for understanding our own times. I hope to relisten to these in the future.
November 8, 2015
Comprehensive, if not in depth in some places. Enjoyable. Great intro.
January 8, 2020
This was an excellent course. Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius did a great job on the research, writing, and presentation of this material.
The course begins with a brief history of the tensions between the major players, then moves on to the events leading up to the war. He covers many of the larger battles; in the Western, Eastern and Southern fronts.
This course also touches on many other relevant historical events linked to wartime, such as the Spanish flu and the Armenian genocide.
I would definitely recommend this course to anyone interested in The Great War.
5 stars.
The course begins with a brief history of the tensions between the major players, then moves on to the events leading up to the war. He covers many of the larger battles; in the Western, Eastern and Southern fronts.
This course also touches on many other relevant historical events linked to wartime, such as the Spanish flu and the Armenian genocide.
I would definitely recommend this course to anyone interested in The Great War.
5 stars.
July 31, 2017
Clear, concise, this went far to illuminate all the problems of world war 1, from how the world got into it to the changing of warfare and tactics throughout it, to the problems and challenges left behind after it. Very well done. Highly recommended.
October 18, 2023
I have always had such great luck with the other “great courses” books. Their lineup of authors and titles are usually spellbinding. World War I is a monumental event in history, a turning point for many nations, and filled with a myriad of captivating stories that deserve to be told. Liulevicius’s attempt, however, left me feeling like I’d attended one of those lectures where you blink yourself awake and realize you missed the entire lecture.
First off, most of the professors and writers who bring us the great courses are usually at the top of their game. These are the rock stars of the academic world. They are inundated with passion. They have a sparkle in their eye when they even mention their beloved topic. It’s this infectious zeal that pulls us in and keeps us hooked. Here, though? It’s missing. Throughout the entire book, I missed that palpable excitement, the author’s passion to transport us to another era.
On the upside, I will give it this: if you want a straight, no-frills rundown of the events of World War I, Liulevicius does a tidy job. However, if you're looking for an engaging read that intrigues and immerses, you might want to look elsewhere.
This book was a tough climb right from the beginning. It starts with a 30 minute slow climb where the author lays out a roadmap of points he intends to discuss. Goodness it was tedious. Talk about burying the lead! WW1 was one of the most catastrophic events of the entire 20th century. Surely the author can come up with a compelling story that will set the tone for the excitement to come.
Liulevicius's entire narrative maintained a dispassionately safe distance of 10,000 feet high. Instead of diving deep into the trenches, both literal and metaphorical, we merely hovered over the subject. It was like gazing at a sprawling landscape from an airplane window; you see it, but you don’t feel it.
Now, I don’t need every history book to be a collection of personal tales, but the best authors know how to intertwine individual stories with overarching narratives to breathe life into dry facts. This method not only humanizes the material but also aids in understanding the bigger picture. Liulevicius? He seemed to skip this lesson entirely. The book listed out several general trends that, while informative, produced a rather dry, professorial tone. The humanity, the vibrancy of WWI and its players, was notably absent. World War I was a theatre of hope, dysfunctions, raw passions, and daring heroism. I yearned to understand these larger-than-life figures and how they exemplified the broader points of the war. Yet, the book barely scratched the surface.
In conclusion, this book is an attempt to present a comprehensive look at WWI, and while it may serve as a base guide for some, it lacks the zeal, the depth, and the personal connection that makes history come alive. Liulevicius may have documented the 'what' of the war, but he left out the 'why' and the 'how'. And in history, those nuances make all the difference.
First off, most of the professors and writers who bring us the great courses are usually at the top of their game. These are the rock stars of the academic world. They are inundated with passion. They have a sparkle in their eye when they even mention their beloved topic. It’s this infectious zeal that pulls us in and keeps us hooked. Here, though? It’s missing. Throughout the entire book, I missed that palpable excitement, the author’s passion to transport us to another era.
On the upside, I will give it this: if you want a straight, no-frills rundown of the events of World War I, Liulevicius does a tidy job. However, if you're looking for an engaging read that intrigues and immerses, you might want to look elsewhere.
This book was a tough climb right from the beginning. It starts with a 30 minute slow climb where the author lays out a roadmap of points he intends to discuss. Goodness it was tedious. Talk about burying the lead! WW1 was one of the most catastrophic events of the entire 20th century. Surely the author can come up with a compelling story that will set the tone for the excitement to come.
Liulevicius's entire narrative maintained a dispassionately safe distance of 10,000 feet high. Instead of diving deep into the trenches, both literal and metaphorical, we merely hovered over the subject. It was like gazing at a sprawling landscape from an airplane window; you see it, but you don’t feel it.
Now, I don’t need every history book to be a collection of personal tales, but the best authors know how to intertwine individual stories with overarching narratives to breathe life into dry facts. This method not only humanizes the material but also aids in understanding the bigger picture. Liulevicius? He seemed to skip this lesson entirely. The book listed out several general trends that, while informative, produced a rather dry, professorial tone. The humanity, the vibrancy of WWI and its players, was notably absent. World War I was a theatre of hope, dysfunctions, raw passions, and daring heroism. I yearned to understand these larger-than-life figures and how they exemplified the broader points of the war. Yet, the book barely scratched the surface.
In conclusion, this book is an attempt to present a comprehensive look at WWI, and while it may serve as a base guide for some, it lacks the zeal, the depth, and the personal connection that makes history come alive. Liulevicius may have documented the 'what' of the war, but he left out the 'why' and the 'how'. And in history, those nuances make all the difference.
February 5, 2024
Absolutely superb. I only wanted the first 6 lectures as it goes into depth on WHY world war 1 even happen. The difference between this and some Youtube video is it actually describes ideology, the power dynamic that alludes to the Industrial Revolution, and of course; psychology.
I've been trying to find information about WHY WW1 even happen, and the two main answers are: some powerful dude got quickscoped by some 18 year old, and Nations had weird treaties. Yeah yeah, I get it. But, there was something else right?
There way an extensive amount of reasons why WW1 even happen, and the theory of "Total War" that World War is actually still happening today. The first lectures even suggest WW1 happened because everyone thought there was going to be a war. A Self-fulfilling prophecy event.
But, as mentioned, I'm giving 5 stars because of what I watched. So, hold my opinion with a pinch of salt.
I've been trying to find information about WHY WW1 even happen, and the two main answers are: some powerful dude got quickscoped by some 18 year old, and Nations had weird treaties. Yeah yeah, I get it. But, there was something else right?
There way an extensive amount of reasons why WW1 even happen, and the theory of "Total War" that World War is actually still happening today. The first lectures even suggest WW1 happened because everyone thought there was going to be a war. A Self-fulfilling prophecy event.
But, as mentioned, I'm giving 5 stars because of what I watched. So, hold my opinion with a pinch of salt.
February 28, 2020
A great introduction to sad events of WWI. Each chapter offers a different perspective of major events as well as a chronological order of the war’s developments. I don’t remember studying this in school and has filled in a gap in my understanding of the events over a century ago. Highly recommended.
August 4, 2024
дуже гарний загальний курс, принаймні для мене, бо я не велика любительниця покрокових описів боїв і політичних переговорів, а в історії мене найбільше цікавить психологія мас.
решта тут https://t.me/RitaLeyent/329
решта тут https://t.me/RitaLeyent/329
August 17, 2021
Solid overview with many surprises!
February 21, 2019
In World War I: The "Great War" Dr. Liulevicius does not just recount the major battles of WWI, but covers the lead-up, the new technologies, all the fronts, the social and civil implications, and the future ramification of this first global conflict. This is a fantastic course, from the August Madness to the Treaty of Versailles.
March 4, 2019
A very good overview of the war if a bit basic and if that was all it was I would of been disappointed. What the lecturer does exceptionally well is give you insight into the social and societal aspects of the war and how these contributed and reflected the war itself. The professors insights into this area make this lecture series worth the time commitment.
August 12, 2015
A fascinating series of lectures that helps to tie not only WWI and WWII together but also touches on the echos of "total war" that we still hear today.
November 28, 2014
Excellent.
October 13, 2022
My car partner suggested an audio on World War I after we listened to John Toland’s very long and excellent biography, Adolf Hitler. That war was important to Hitler’s world view and his appeal to the German people. We chose World War I: The Great War, a Great Course.
We have listened to many of the Great Courses as their 30 minute chapters work well in the car while running errands. We often hear half of a chapter on our way to an event and the other half on our return
I think that we were expecting that this Great Course would detail the battles, and it does not. Instead, in 36 lectures, it provides a broad perspective of what lead up to the war, an overview of the battles, how it affected the various countries and its ending with the Treaty of Versailles. It was more and much better than we anticipated.
Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius created a clear picture of WWI. He has a strong voice that was easy to understand. It was an excellent listening and learning experience for us.
We have listened to many of the Great Courses as their 30 minute chapters work well in the car while running errands. We often hear half of a chapter on our way to an event and the other half on our return
I think that we were expecting that this Great Course would detail the battles, and it does not. Instead, in 36 lectures, it provides a broad perspective of what lead up to the war, an overview of the battles, how it affected the various countries and its ending with the Treaty of Versailles. It was more and much better than we anticipated.
Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius created a clear picture of WWI. He has a strong voice that was easy to understand. It was an excellent listening and learning experience for us.
April 22, 2020
Apr 2020. Lots of information, clearly arranged. Here are my main takeaways, in terms of fact and interpretation:
* The strange phenomenon of the "August Madness" across Europe at the start of the war
* A better understanding of the peoples and nations involved
* The very different aims and memories of the war in southern and eastern Europe, where numerous ethnic groups were struggling for independence
* The notion of "total war," one of the lecturer's main ideas
* The idea that the two World Wars are better understood as two stages in a single "Thirty Years War"
* The postwar importance of two new "superpowers": the gradual financial rise of America, and the sudden violent establishment of the Soviet Union; also the genuine novelty (and opposition) of their visions of politics and world history ("making the world safe for democracy" vs. "preparing for the worldwide class revolution"). The conflict of these two new nations provides substantial support for the thesis that World War I was the "seminal" event of the 20C.
* The strange phenomenon of the "August Madness" across Europe at the start of the war
* A better understanding of the peoples and nations involved
* The very different aims and memories of the war in southern and eastern Europe, where numerous ethnic groups were struggling for independence
* The notion of "total war," one of the lecturer's main ideas
* The idea that the two World Wars are better understood as two stages in a single "Thirty Years War"
* The postwar importance of two new "superpowers": the gradual financial rise of America, and the sudden violent establishment of the Soviet Union; also the genuine novelty (and opposition) of their visions of politics and world history ("making the world safe for democracy" vs. "preparing for the worldwide class revolution"). The conflict of these two new nations provides substantial support for the thesis that World War I was the "seminal" event of the 20C.
January 27, 2021
There was so much to like about this course. It was very informative and interesting. It seems like WWI is frequently overlooked and I’ll admit, I knew much more about WWII before listening to these lectures.
There were two things I didn’t like and it’s why I knocked 1 star off. The professor’s language was so utterly pretentious that it makes the material less accessible. If you have to stop to constantly look up words to understand what the heck he said, it’s not a very good lecture.
My second issue was a small thing that may not bother anyone else. I have NEVER heard the word paradoxically used so often. Based on the number of times he used it, you’d think the entire war was one giant paradox made up of many little paradoxes.
Having said that, I would definitely recommend this course.
There were two things I didn’t like and it’s why I knocked 1 star off. The professor’s language was so utterly pretentious that it makes the material less accessible. If you have to stop to constantly look up words to understand what the heck he said, it’s not a very good lecture.
My second issue was a small thing that may not bother anyone else. I have NEVER heard the word paradoxically used so often. Based on the number of times he used it, you’d think the entire war was one giant paradox made up of many little paradoxes.
Having said that, I would definitely recommend this course.
January 31, 2022
Positives: very detailed. As you'd expect from almost 19 hours of lectures. The focus on the larger impacts of the first World War on our modern life and society in particular was fascinating, with the last chapter doing a good job of wrapping much of that up.
Negatives: it's told in a very scattershot approach, jumping around in time from place to place and event to event, making it hard sometimes to follow the full picture. I guess that's how it normally goes with individual lectures.
The narrator, lecturer, just wasn't great. Lots of fumbled words, ums and ahs, strange inflections, making it hard to follow at times. It got a bit annoying.
I was probably spoilt by the excellent Fall and Rise of China, the previous Great Courses course I listened to, which was excellently written and read.
Would I re-read: no
Negatives: it's told in a very scattershot approach, jumping around in time from place to place and event to event, making it hard sometimes to follow the full picture. I guess that's how it normally goes with individual lectures.
The narrator, lecturer, just wasn't great. Lots of fumbled words, ums and ahs, strange inflections, making it hard to follow at times. It got a bit annoying.
I was probably spoilt by the excellent Fall and Rise of China, the previous Great Courses course I listened to, which was excellently written and read.
Would I re-read: no
August 15, 2020
A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF WWI
SUMMARY: These lectures provide a great overview of the events leading up to WWI and the aftermath leading to WWII. Strangely, there is only a fraction of books available focusing on WWI. It's always felt for me like I had missed something in my education with much of history classes giving the lion share of time to discussing WWII. This series helps to fill that void for those wanting to learn more on WWI.
VERDICT: Highly recommended for anyone who (like myself) only had some cursory knowledge of the events of WWI, but are wanting to know more about the causes and consequences of World War I, a war that can only be called "Great" because of it's size and scope.
SUMMARY: These lectures provide a great overview of the events leading up to WWI and the aftermath leading to WWII. Strangely, there is only a fraction of books available focusing on WWI. It's always felt for me like I had missed something in my education with much of history classes giving the lion share of time to discussing WWII. This series helps to fill that void for those wanting to learn more on WWI.
VERDICT: Highly recommended for anyone who (like myself) only had some cursory knowledge of the events of WWI, but are wanting to know more about the causes and consequences of World War I, a war that can only be called "Great" because of it's size and scope.
April 15, 2024
This is another course I bought Audible. It was taught by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius. He was good but not nearly as good as Thomas Childers, who taught the course on WWII. This course clarified some of the questions I have had in the past about this battle. The Germans were once again the criminals in this war. They started it and they showed no mercy in their attempt at victory. I am surprised that the allied forces didn't divide the country between the victors, France, Belguim, etc. Hilter was a messenger in this war and he got gassed in 1918. He went crazy when he learned that his side lost. I am debating reading more on this era, such as Goodbye to All That by Graves or Tuchman's books or All Quiet on the Western Front.
March 27, 2018
This was a really good history of WWI and one of the best and most well done episodes of the Great Courses that I've gone through so far. I think the series is a great concept and something that more people should get into. I picked this one up from my local library, which is even better since they're stocking these courses now.
If WWI is something you're interested in this is a good choice for novices as well as people already familiar with it. The professor who takes you through it does a great job of making it interesting and exciting while illustrating what can at times be dry or dull topics about politics and long dead personalities, laws, etc.
If WWI is something you're interested in this is a good choice for novices as well as people already familiar with it. The professor who takes you through it does a great job of making it interesting and exciting while illustrating what can at times be dry or dull topics about politics and long dead personalities, laws, etc.
March 29, 2021
As one would expect from the Great Courses series, Lielevicius gives a solid overview of the First World War and takes the time to look at more than the battles—topics such as how technology changed the war and the impact of ideology. He also spends a good amount of time examining the consequences of the war. All in all, it is a solid account of the period, although I thought he was a little generous to Woodrow Wilson and I can’t really understand why there wasn’t a lecture dedicated to the impact of the Spanish Flu. Still, if you are interested in this subject, this is a fine place to start.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
May 8, 2024
Excellent introduction to WW1. Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius crafts a lucid, balanced narrative of the conflict that is supplemented with rich special topics analysis (e.g., the impact of propaganda, soldiers’ identity construction and deconstruction throughout the war, the fluctuation of gender roles in this period, how postwar monuments and cultural production shaped international memory, etc.).
“and it created ultimately a surge in our own terrible knowledge of what humans are capable of, as well as a keener sense of the tragic fragility of human progress, because we’ve seen the spectacle of an entire civilization turned against itself.”
Listened to Audio Version
“and it created ultimately a surge in our own terrible knowledge of what humans are capable of, as well as a keener sense of the tragic fragility of human progress, because we’ve seen the spectacle of an entire civilization turned against itself.”
Listened to Audio Version
Read
April 4, 2020This is an excellent series and overlaps my "Revolutions" podcast about the Russian revolution by Mike Duncan (which I have not finished). It is interesting to hear both narratives in parallel and tie things together. We read about events that reshaped how people think of their collective existence, this is truly one of them. So much happened in the World at this time and this series revealed much new information for me.
July 17, 2022
Every informative and structured well. It is not a deep dive into any one topic, but rather a comprehensive look at the social, economic, militaristic, and political aspects of WWI. It did a great job of breaking down what led up to it, what happened during the war, and what happened after and why.
This is more cursory in specific details than some perhaps but also much more broad than many.
I recommend and learned a ton.
This is more cursory in specific details than some perhaps but also much more broad than many.
I recommend and learned a ton.
January 30, 2020
Informative and comprehensible. I learned some things from this book - and much of that has to do with the simplistic manner in which the material is presented. In addition, it provided a great launch-point for understanding some of the problems that brought along World War II. I am surely a bit more informed after the experience of this book.
July 27, 2025
Very good survey of the events and progress of the War; includes lectures addressing what led up to the conflict as well as the aftermath (legacies).
Does have some repetition of things already mentioned (without adding anything new or even offering context or expanding at times). But overall well done.
Does have some repetition of things already mentioned (without adding anything new or even offering context or expanding at times). But overall well done.
September 25, 2017
This was very informative and all encompassing. The professor is very clear and knows exactly when you need a reminder of something mentioned previously. His style is easy to understand and well organized.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews