1918 : The Year of Victories

by Martin Marix Evans

At the outset of 1918 Germany faced certain defeat as a result of Allied technical innovation in tanks and aircraft, and the American entry into the war. Victory could only be gained by the immediate application of overwhelming force in new tactical form; the 'fire-waltz' artillery barrage and the storm-trooper infantry attack. 1918 examines both the Germans' tactics and the Allies' preferred solution to fighting this war, the combination of artillery, tanks, infantry and aircraft, and argues that this reached a level of sophistication in command and control never before achieved. The war of attrition was far from over, but as more Americans arrived in France the ghastly cost became affordable. For the Germans, it became a question of whether they could negotiate an armistice before their armies were utterly destroyed.

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

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[David]

Could be a good history of the last year of the 1st World War, but focuses too much on the minute details of various battles and the exact deployments of the various troops. Relies too heavily on direct quotations, which can go on for several pages. It's purported central theme, wjich is about the impact of new technology on the eventual outcome of the war is not in evidence very much. When it is, as in the tank it's dealt with obliquely, and with the tank shows how little impact it actually had as opposed to older methods (e.g. the cavalry charge). Still it's qite short and not uninteresting parts, but if you like history with more bite this is not for you.

[Andrea Maisano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nonostante il titolo generico, il testo non è altro che una sintetica descrizione dei combattimenti sul fronte occidentale nell'ultimo anno della Grande Guerra. Particolare attenzione è dedicata ai singoli commbattimenti - peccato che le poche mappe siano inutili, quindi armatevi di altre fonti per poter seguire le singole divisioni nei loro movimenti. Interessanti le citazioni - molto frequenti - di memoriali e testimonianze.
Di sicuro da solo non aiuta a comprendere il perché la guerra finì nel 1918 - e non più tardi - ma un buon punto di riferimento per orientarsi tra le varie fasi.
P.s. essendo l'autore anglosassone l'attenzione è concentrata sulle truppe britanniche e americane.

[Andrew Fear · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a can't see the wood for the trees book. Although we are promised an analysis of the last year of the Great War, we don't get one. Rather there is a lot of detail of particular actions without the reader being told how all these fit together. There are interesting bits but they are never developed. The reader gets the feeling that the introduction of tanks en masse was important but then later is told about effective counter measures - no assessment of the two factors is given, more could have been said about Sir John Monash, there are some interesting comments about the US contribution to the campaign (the author evades discussion of the different performance of black US troops under different commands), but oddly the British advance is treated very brusquely. Memoirs are used (annoying at times they are not listed in the bibliography) very effectively to illustrate specific incidents. Sadly therefore I have to conclude that while this book has its moments, it is frankly a failure in what it sets out to do. Those looking for a decent overview of the events of 1918 and an interpretation of them will have to look elsewhere.

[Edo De Vries · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much emphasis on the American side of the war to give a clear view of the last year of the war.

[Marwa Mansour · Rating 2 out of 5]

كتاب 1918 the year of victories جبته من معرض الكتاب وكنت مهتمة جدا اقرى عن الحرب العالمية بس للأسف كتاب صعب آوي وبيتكلم علي استراتيجيات الحرب والتكنيك المستخدم في الحرب و التحالفات من وجهة نظر ألمانية فيها تفاصيل عسكرية وأنواع اسلحة وحاجات من هذا القبيل لم تستهويني وقررت ماكملهوش لإنه مش من الحاجات إللي ممكن تشدني وصعبة عليا...
ممكن يعجب آوي أي حد عنده خلفية عسكرية أو بيحب جو الحروب وخطط الحرب وكدة
#مراجعات_الكتب
#bookreview

[Lysergius · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting examination of Allied techniques in the pursuance of the war in the final year of the war. The result of four years of fighting, the effective combination of artillery, tanks, infantry and aircraft, plus the naval blockade finally sapped the effectiveness of the German offensives, culminating in them falling back behind the Siegfried line and the signing of the Armistice.

[Lysergius · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting examination of Allied techniques in the pursuance of the war in the final year of the war. The result of four years of fighting, the effective combination of artillery, tanks, infantry and aircraft, plus the naval blockade finally sapped the effectiveness of the German offensives, culminating in them falling back behind the Siegfried line and the signing of the Armistice.

[J.G. Cully · Rating 4 out of 5]

a clear and concise analysis of the 1918 German offensive. It only lacked a few more maps of the allied counter offensive, and prehapes some more concluding notes. very informative.