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Adventures in Time: The First World War
*A Children's Book of the Year 2021 as chosen by The Times and Daily Mail *Take a journey to a vanished world with the ADVENTURES IN TIME series - stories so exciting you won't believe they're all true'The whistles blew, the cheers went up, and thousands of men were scrambling up into the rolling fields of No Man's Land . . .'Travel back in time to The First World War, as historian Dominic Sandbrook takes us from the soaring heights of an aeroplane cockpit to the desperate depths of the enemy trenches. We are plunged first hand into a conflict like no other as, amid the greatest clash of empires ever known, the future of the world hangs in the balance...The Adventures in Time series brings the past alive for twenty-first century children. These stories are every bit as exciting as those of Harry Potter or Matilda Wormwood. The only difference is they actually happened...
368 pages, Hardcover
Published November 4, 2021
46 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Dominic Sandbrook
46 books561 followersAn English historian, commentator and broadcaster and author of two highly acclaimed books on modern Britain: Never Had It So Good and White Heat. Their follow-up is State of Emergency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 19, 2025
6 stars.
An outstanding history of World War One written for young people. For the first time I really understand why the war started. The events are hung around actual people and their experiences - from across the fighting spectrum - so that the events don’t seem dry and remote but fully lived.
I couldn’t stop listening to it. And as with every time I encounter stories of war, it made me so upset.
An outstanding history of World War One written for young people. For the first time I really understand why the war started. The events are hung around actual people and their experiences - from across the fighting spectrum - so that the events don’t seem dry and remote but fully lived.
I couldn’t stop listening to it. And as with every time I encounter stories of war, it made me so upset.
July 25, 2024
Intended for children, but serves as a wonderful introduction to the First World War for everyone. Sandbrook really captures the devastation of the War through the stories of individuals.
November 19, 2024
An Amazing set of stories really showing the truth behind World War One.
December 2, 2025
Easy to read and full of fascinating stories!
November 17, 2024
The First World War : Adventures in Time (2021) by Dominic Sandbrook is an entertaining, clever guide to World War One (WWI) written by the co-host of the very popular ‘The Rest is History Podcast’.
My son is interested in history and in particular in the world wars. I got the book for him and read it to see what it was like. The book has short chapters that focus on particular people through the war. It does a great job of making history come alive. Given that it’s on WWI the stories are very often tragic.
History can be such an interesting subject for kids in Primary and High School provided it’s well taught and the subjects of history are interesting. It’s a great way for kids to practice reading and writing on interesting and important subjects. Sandbrook’s book should help more kids kindle their interest in the subject.
The First World War : Adventures in Time is really well done and is very much worth getting for young adults and for adults it’s also an entertaining read. Anyone who enjoys the excellent ‘Rest is History Podcast’ should enjoy enjoy this book.
My son is interested in history and in particular in the world wars. I got the book for him and read it to see what it was like. The book has short chapters that focus on particular people through the war. It does a great job of making history come alive. Given that it’s on WWI the stories are very often tragic.
History can be such an interesting subject for kids in Primary and High School provided it’s well taught and the subjects of history are interesting. It’s a great way for kids to practice reading and writing on interesting and important subjects. Sandbrook’s book should help more kids kindle their interest in the subject.
The First World War : Adventures in Time is really well done and is very much worth getting for young adults and for adults it’s also an entertaining read. Anyone who enjoys the excellent ‘Rest is History Podcast’ should enjoy enjoy this book.
July 3, 2025
4.5 stars. A very informative and interesting overview of World War I, told using the real stories of men and women from both sides. This must have taken an incredible amount of research. I was embarrassingly ignorant on this topic and therefore learned a lot. My only criticism was that I wished there had been a few more dates, as I found we jumped around a bit, from year to year and country to country, and I couldn't always tell when the events were occurring. Happily, this slight downside forced me to do a bit more research into the actual timeline of World War I. A book that whets your appetite and opens up opportunities for further study into other areas ie the poetry of Wilfred Owen & writing of Henry Williamson and J.R.R Tolkien, paintings of Bela Moldovan, stories of The Red Baron and much more. I will look forward to more of this series.
July 9, 2024
Remarkable!
I’ll definitely be picking more books from this author soon😁
I’ll definitely be picking more books from this author soon😁
July 4, 2025
No tengo palabras, el comeback que hace a mitad es una locura, no me esperaba para nada el crossover con El Hobbit. Se aprende un montón y bastante ameno
July 7, 2022
Wahnsinnig gutes Buch!!!
Dominic Sandbrook beschreibt aus vielen verschiedenen Perspektiven die Zeit des Ersten Weltkrieges. Es erzählen ZivilistInnen, Soldaten und viele Andere von ihren persönlichen Erfahrungen im Krieg
Dominic Sandbrook beschreibt aus vielen verschiedenen Perspektiven die Zeit des Ersten Weltkrieges. Es erzählen ZivilistInnen, Soldaten und viele Andere von ihren persönlichen Erfahrungen im Krieg
December 31, 2022
This has been a great book. Educational and oh so readable. It tells us about the where, why and how of the 1st world war in a way that appeals to all. It Is an easy yet engaging and interesting read. I would recommend to anyone who wants familiarization or reminders of the reasons and actions of the Great War. I’ll certainly be passing it to my teenage children and reading other books in the series. A children’s book isn’t just for children. It’s a great learning opportunity too :-)
November 9, 2025
This is a really great book , I know it’s target audience is teens but it has plenty of great and moving stories of people from all spheres of the war , highly recommended
November 10, 2023
Considering how long I've been waiting for this book to arrive at the library, it couldn't have made a more timely appearance. An overview of the First World War for a young adult audience, this book tells the story of the conflict through tales of people who were there. While well known names of course appear, the author also takes the time to bring to light stories of the ordinary folk, the men and women who laid down their lives in Flanders Field and beyond.
As with his book on WW2, I was struck by the fact that the whole conflict is included. So often we focus on this 'World' War as a fight over what is essentially miles of territory in France and Belgium. So I find it incredibly refreshing that the author has taken the time to rectify that assumption, explaining about the war on the Eastern Front, the involvement of nations not directly linked with either the Allies or the Central Powers and the naval battles. I won't say there's anything in here I wasn't vaguely aware of, but equally it goes into enough detail that it's expanded my understanding of certain elements, even if it hasn't taught me everything I need to know.
The author does a sterling job at weaving in the words of his subjects to bring them (back) to life in the narrative. The work is written with sensitivity and care for all those mentioned; there's no revelling in victory or defeat; it really is about seeing different aspects of the war through their eyes. And yet there's no shying away from the sad fates of many - in broad terms the author describes the horrors of the trenches in a way that immediately invokes the realities of the conflict; the dead everywhere you look, the foul nature of the living conditions in the dugouts etc. and yet he manages to not overwhelm the reader with needlessly shocking depictions. Then on a more personal level, he matter-of-factly states that a featured person passed away the next day, yet because of the style it doesn't feel heartless.
Although I do appreciate that lots of events take place concurrently, I did find the timeline of this one harder to follow as it's not quite in chronological order. In one chapter you might work through to half way through 1915, then at the start of the next you're back in 1914 again. As ultimately the book is made up of a series of vignettes from various perspectives, I wonder if a slight rejigging of things to keep things truly chronological might have made it an easier read.
This one does feel more balanced than the Second World War book in the same series; the respect each side had for the other as evidenced by the various temporary truces etc. mean that it's a lot harder to paint the simplistic black and white narrative of 'Us good, them bad'. There are moments where certain individuals are painted in unflattering lights, but even these seem truer to life rather than caricatures. Although there is one moment where his tone feels like he's setting up a 'boo, hiss' pantomime villain rather than making a serious point, which only resulted in an eyeroll and an 'I wondered when he'd make an appearance' from me. It's not entirely necessary, but at the same time it's factually correct and forms an important part of the story of how the next 30 years develop...plus it's an obvious segue into the WW2 book.
Needless to say, in the morning I will remember them. 🌺
As with his book on WW2, I was struck by the fact that the whole conflict is included. So often we focus on this 'World' War as a fight over what is essentially miles of territory in France and Belgium. So I find it incredibly refreshing that the author has taken the time to rectify that assumption, explaining about the war on the Eastern Front, the involvement of nations not directly linked with either the Allies or the Central Powers and the naval battles. I won't say there's anything in here I wasn't vaguely aware of, but equally it goes into enough detail that it's expanded my understanding of certain elements, even if it hasn't taught me everything I need to know.
The author does a sterling job at weaving in the words of his subjects to bring them (back) to life in the narrative. The work is written with sensitivity and care for all those mentioned; there's no revelling in victory or defeat; it really is about seeing different aspects of the war through their eyes. And yet there's no shying away from the sad fates of many - in broad terms the author describes the horrors of the trenches in a way that immediately invokes the realities of the conflict; the dead everywhere you look, the foul nature of the living conditions in the dugouts etc. and yet he manages to not overwhelm the reader with needlessly shocking depictions. Then on a more personal level, he matter-of-factly states that a featured person passed away the next day, yet because of the style it doesn't feel heartless.
Although I do appreciate that lots of events take place concurrently, I did find the timeline of this one harder to follow as it's not quite in chronological order. In one chapter you might work through to half way through 1915, then at the start of the next you're back in 1914 again. As ultimately the book is made up of a series of vignettes from various perspectives, I wonder if a slight rejigging of things to keep things truly chronological might have made it an easier read.
This one does feel more balanced than the Second World War book in the same series; the respect each side had for the other as evidenced by the various temporary truces etc. mean that it's a lot harder to paint the simplistic black and white narrative of 'Us good, them bad'. There are moments where certain individuals are painted in unflattering lights, but even these seem truer to life rather than caricatures. Although there is one moment where his tone feels like he's setting up a 'boo, hiss' pantomime villain rather than making a serious point, which only resulted in an eyeroll and an 'I wondered when he'd make an appearance' from me. It's not entirely necessary, but at the same time it's factually correct and forms an important part of the story of how the next 30 years develop...plus it's an obvious segue into the WW2 book.
Needless to say, in the morning I will remember them. 🌺
October 14, 2025
The First World War
The First World War is one of the many books in the Adventures in Time series. This book tells the reader all about the lives and routines of people involved in the Great War, which I believe is the most important part. I rated this book a four out of five stars most because I enjoyed the detail in the individuals' lives, not the ones with power and control, but the larger group, the people who fight for their country and their experiences. I find it almost poetic when the individual is saying something or doing something and Sandbrook just says something like “he died the next day” or “two minutes later he was killed by the enemy soldier.” It really makes you think how quick your life could just end and the soldiers have to get used to it, not only that but the people around them as well, I’d almost describe it as poetic.
From the available choices I was given, I chose the nonfiction category. This book is real, more than 250 pages long, and is at an appropriate reading level so it follows all the qualifications. The second paragraph for this category is to talk about what the most interesting thing I read in this book was. The answer to this question took me a minute, my response is how often people died and how many people died fighting for their leaders thinking they were the good guys. Sure, that happens in every war, but this wasn’t every war. This was the Great War, the biggest and most worldwide war the planet had ever seen with 37 million people dying, that’s double the population of the Netherlands. To put that in perspective, 39.5 million people live in California alone. This may be the most interesting thing I’ve learned throughout reading this book.
The First World War is one of the many books in the Adventures in Time series. This book tells the reader all about the lives and routines of people involved in the Great War, which I believe is the most important part. I rated this book a four out of five stars most because I enjoyed the detail in the individuals' lives, not the ones with power and control, but the larger group, the people who fight for their country and their experiences. I find it almost poetic when the individual is saying something or doing something and Sandbrook just says something like “he died the next day” or “two minutes later he was killed by the enemy soldier.” It really makes you think how quick your life could just end and the soldiers have to get used to it, not only that but the people around them as well, I’d almost describe it as poetic.
From the available choices I was given, I chose the nonfiction category. This book is real, more than 250 pages long, and is at an appropriate reading level so it follows all the qualifications. The second paragraph for this category is to talk about what the most interesting thing I read in this book was. The answer to this question took me a minute, my response is how often people died and how many people died fighting for their leaders thinking they were the good guys. Sure, that happens in every war, but this wasn’t every war. This was the Great War, the biggest and most worldwide war the planet had ever seen with 37 million people dying, that’s double the population of the Netherlands. To put that in perspective, 39.5 million people live in California alone. This may be the most interesting thing I’ve learned throughout reading this book.
Read
May 21, 2025After my third re-read of this book (this time in preparation for my A-Levels), I can definitely say, that it is worth reading it, if you have always been interested in the First World War.
The book gives the reader a well written overview of the outbreak of the 'Great War', while still focusing on telling this story in a neutral perspective. I liked the author's writing style for many reasons, one of them being that he chose to tell the story from many different point-of-views, balancing the overview information about battles with the personal stories from eyewitnesses and still creating a novel that feels more like fiction than fact (in the BEST WAY!). What I exactly mean by this statement, is that it feels like an adventure novel, not like the boring textbooks you have to read in History class. The author chose to include places and seasonal descriptions while adding 'fun' facts about different situations, which may not everybody know.
Even though this book is advertised towards a young adult audience, I would also say that this can be a good read for adults too, because of the easy written writing style and a good amount of included information.
The book gives the reader a well written overview of the outbreak of the 'Great War', while still focusing on telling this story in a neutral perspective. I liked the author's writing style for many reasons, one of them being that he chose to tell the story from many different point-of-views, balancing the overview information about battles with the personal stories from eyewitnesses and still creating a novel that feels more like fiction than fact (in the BEST WAY!). What I exactly mean by this statement, is that it feels like an adventure novel, not like the boring textbooks you have to read in History class. The author chose to include places and seasonal descriptions while adding 'fun' facts about different situations, which may not everybody know.
Even though this book is advertised towards a young adult audience, I would also say that this can be a good read for adults too, because of the easy written writing style and a good amount of included information.
January 20, 2025
I got this book for my son who wanted to know more about the First World War. He seems to have grown out of the Horrible Histories series somewhat (there's only so many poo facts a 9 year old boy can take!). He said he wanted to not only know more facts, but more context, and this book certainly delivered on that front.
I actually decided to read it as well, concurrently with my son, and then we can talk about it together.
It is over 400 pages long but he absolutely chewed through it. The book is littered with context and stories that bring it to life. As a history graduate I am also ashamed to admit that I actually learnt a lot from this book as well, notably about the conflicts away from the Western Front, both towards Russia and also in the Middle East.
If you've got a child who wants to learn more about a specific part of history then I would recommend checking out the Adventures in Time series. Heck, if you're an adult that wants to do that, I'd also recommend this series!
I actually decided to read it as well, concurrently with my son, and then we can talk about it together.
It is over 400 pages long but he absolutely chewed through it. The book is littered with context and stories that bring it to life. As a history graduate I am also ashamed to admit that I actually learnt a lot from this book as well, notably about the conflicts away from the Western Front, both towards Russia and also in the Middle East.
If you've got a child who wants to learn more about a specific part of history then I would recommend checking out the Adventures in Time series. Heck, if you're an adult that wants to do that, I'd also recommend this series!
March 29, 2024
This was the perfect book for me to read about WW1. In all my years of reading history and teaching history I have never explicitly studied it and have always felt a bit vague about what happened. I have transcribed the war letters of my grandfather and my great uncle, so I know bits. But this book, written for kids, brings it all together in a very readable way. Now I understand a lot of the gaps in my knowledge. I never really comprehended why Britain, France, Russia, and Germany got involved in a dispute between Austria and Serbia. I never knew what happened in Germany at the end of the war, before the Peace. I had heard of the various battles on the Western front but now I understand them and why these places were battle sites. I never knew anything much about the Eastern Front or the Middle East. I am looking forward to reading the next Adventures in Time book about WW2.
December 29, 2024
A real tour de force by Dominic Sandbrook!
While really this is a book meant for youngsters, if anyone needs to read a primer on WWI, look no further. In the narrative style, that has made his (and Tom Holland’s) podcast a feast for history buffs, this book covers the drama and the misery of the Great War with extraordinary fluidity. You have all the epoch making events here - starting from the end of the peaceful century in Europe and ending with the start of the next storm (WW2). This is popular history writing at its best!
While really this is a book meant for youngsters, if anyone needs to read a primer on WWI, look no further. In the narrative style, that has made his (and Tom Holland’s) podcast a feast for history buffs, this book covers the drama and the misery of the Great War with extraordinary fluidity. You have all the epoch making events here - starting from the end of the peaceful century in Europe and ending with the start of the next storm (WW2). This is popular history writing at its best!
December 3, 2025
This is a outstanding book! It has extraordinary description that makes me feel like I’m actually standing with all the soldiers, tanks and guns but also it uses stories from some soldiers and civilians all around the world to help get a idea of how tough it actually was for everyone. With a sad ending to the book I had really enjoy reading this and look forward to reading some other books written by Dominic Sandbrook.
February 21, 2024
Did as a read aloud these past few months. Now sure that was completely wise as it was a bit intense for the younger ones BUT the big kids and I definitely have a better understanding of WWI than we did before...both the emotions and trials of individual experiences and the overall big picture. And they want to move on to WW2 and a few others soon!
July 19, 2025
Superb. beautifully written. So enjoyable. Sets out the various events and discusses the various protagonists with clarity. Avoids certain details and opinions as it is aimed at the young reader but I didn't mind, that can be found elsewhere. Dominic Sandbrook is a wonderful story teller and I look forward to reading more of his books
December 23, 2023
What a great telling
I loved this book. In popular culture, and in TV documentaries, WW1 is so much more in the "background" than WW2, and this book really brings so much of it to life.
Written in an engaging style, I couldn't recommend this more highly.
I loved this book. In popular culture, and in TV documentaries, WW1 is so much more in the "background" than WW2, and this book really brings so much of it to life.
Written in an engaging style, I couldn't recommend this more highly.
August 1, 2024
I didn't know much about WWI so when I saw this I thought it was perfect. This is geared more for middle school age but even as an adult I liked it. It was perfectly written so it was easy to follow and every chapter opened with a new person that related to what was happening.
April 18, 2025
A great basic history of the First World War told from the viewpoint of individuals. A perfect introduction to “The GreatWar” especially aimed at the YA. Recommended for teens who want to learn and enjoy history.
August 27, 2025
This book deepened my understanding of the First World War. I like how the author writes, he makes it like a story, really describing different places, the trenches, the people and so much more that you really remember it like you would a fiction story. The book not only focuses on the important battles and the important people, it also puts in your mind the stories of individuals, how their life was like during the war. This book really captures you in the pages, it makes you more and more interested with every chapter and is as exciting as any Harry Potter book!
I would recommend this book for readers 10+ who would like to understand more about WW1. Personally I am very excited to read the WW2 book, also by Dominic Sandbrook, along with all his other books too.
I would recommend this book for readers 10+ who would like to understand more about WW1. Personally I am very excited to read the WW2 book, also by Dominic Sandbrook, along with all his other books too.
August 31, 2025
An excellent distillation of a complicated global war, with chapters dipping into various personal accounts of young people my girls will relate to. Somehow still manages to convey the overarching thrust of the war. Will definitely use for our English history year.
August 20, 2022
Pausiert auf Seite 238
July 24, 2024
My 10 year-old son and I enjoyed reading this together. He loves war stories. It was factual and engaging.
March 9, 2025
Bra bok til publikummet som er ment for boka.
April 20, 2025
A brilliant outline of WW1, terrific.
July 15, 2025
Informative, yet engaging.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews