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The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War
Having a profound influence on the history of the twentieth century, the First World War left an intense legacy that continues to affect both those who lived through it and those who merely read about it in school. It was the first conflict in which airplanes, submarines, and tanks played a
significant role and the first in which casualties on the battlefield outnumbered those from disease. It precipitated the collapse of the empires of Austria-Hungary and Turkey, and it promoted revolution in Russia. America's entry into the war and the part it played in the peace settlement signaled
the arrival on the world stage of a new great power.
In this extensively illustrated book, an international team of experts explores the war in all its different aspects. From its causes to its consequences, from the strategy of the politicians to the tactics of the generals, the course of the war is charted, and its political and human consequences
assessed. The legacy of 'the war to end wars'--in poetry and prose, in collective memory and political culture--is with us still, eighty years after that first Armistice Day. This remarkable book helps us understand that legacy.
significant role and the first in which casualties on the battlefield outnumbered those from disease. It precipitated the collapse of the empires of Austria-Hungary and Turkey, and it promoted revolution in Russia. America's entry into the war and the part it played in the peace settlement signaled
the arrival on the world stage of a new great power.
In this extensively illustrated book, an international team of experts explores the war in all its different aspects. From its causes to its consequences, from the strategy of the politicians to the tactics of the generals, the course of the war is charted, and its political and human consequences
assessed. The legacy of 'the war to end wars'--in poetry and prose, in collective memory and political culture--is with us still, eighty years after that first Armistice Day. This remarkable book helps us understand that legacy.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
35 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
About the author
Hew Strachan
78 books73 followersHew Strachan was born and brought up in Edinburgh, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 2003 and awarded an Hon. D.Univ., (Paisley) 2005. He is also Life Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he was successively Research Fellow, Admissions Tutor and Senior Tutor, 1975-92. From 1992 to 2001 he was Professor of Modern History at the University of Glasgow, and from 1996 to 2001 Director of the Scottish Centre for War Studies.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 13, 2021
This excellent history of World War I, edited by Hew Strachan, is an anthology of 18 chapters, each written by a different historian (Strachan also wrote one of the chapters). And it touches on every aspect of the Great War; origins, strategy, war at sea, economic warfare, propaganda, the peace settlement et al. I was unfamiliar with some of the authors but the source material was helpful in providing their backgrounds and credentials, which were top-drawer.
As in any anthology, there were some sections that were not as interesting or frankly dull but they were few and far between. And the pictures and maps!!!!...sensational. Many of the pictures I had not seen before and I have read quite a few books on the Great War. This is a must have book for the reader interested in this era of history. Highly recommended.
As in any anthology, there were some sections that were not as interesting or frankly dull but they were few and far between. And the pictures and maps!!!!...sensational. Many of the pictures I had not seen before and I have read quite a few books on the Great War. This is a must have book for the reader interested in this era of history. Highly recommended.
November 26, 2025
I've read so much about the Second World War that I decided I should read more about the First. In this book, a team of experts explore the war in all its various aspects. One chapter is on the origin of the war and it goes on from there. There are chapters on the Western and Eastern Fronts, "Turkey's War," "The War at Sea" and so on. While the book is very thorough covering the military side of the war, it also covers economic mobilization on the home fronts, the impact on women, and the vital role of propaganda. There are chapters on the entry of America into the war, the Russian Revolution, and the Peace Settlement.
Of particular interest to me was the chapter on the war in Africa. The First World War campaigns in Africa have often been overlooked and were seen as a minor sideshow. However, for the African people, thw war was a holocaust, as the Europeans fought over their colonies in Africa. The French, British, and Belgians used native soldiers ("askaris") to fight the Germans with their askaris. These troops required head carriers or porters to carry supplies and munitions to the front lines. Thousands upon thousands of porters were used and they labored under horrible conditions, suffering from starvation and disease brought about by incompetence and neglect. I would say the Africans were considered to be disposable. In the main military campaign in Africa, the East African campaign centered on the German colony of Tanganyika, the carrier death rate exceeded 100,000.
The horrors of World War I extended far beyond the ghastly trench warfare of the Western Front...
Of particular interest to me was the chapter on the war in Africa. The First World War campaigns in Africa have often been overlooked and were seen as a minor sideshow. However, for the African people, thw war was a holocaust, as the Europeans fought over their colonies in Africa. The French, British, and Belgians used native soldiers ("askaris") to fight the Germans with their askaris. These troops required head carriers or porters to carry supplies and munitions to the front lines. Thousands upon thousands of porters were used and they labored under horrible conditions, suffering from starvation and disease brought about by incompetence and neglect. I would say the Africans were considered to be disposable. In the main military campaign in Africa, the East African campaign centered on the German colony of Tanganyika, the carrier death rate exceeded 100,000.
The horrors of World War I extended far beyond the ghastly trench warfare of the Western Front...
April 16, 2019
I really liked the anthology format of this book, and the chapters tied into each other really well. Great read!
January 11, 2016
The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War edited by Hew Strachan is an excellent overview work on World War I. For anyone looking to pick up one book and get some solid information about a majority of the aspects of the war, they will find it here; from the different battlefronts, to war origins, the role of women, propaganda, to peace settlements and more. This is a first-rate resource for anyone who might be new to the subject area or just to serve as a refresher for a seasoned historian.
The dual strengths of this book are its brevity and its contributors. Typically I find the brevity of books on one specific subject to be a hindrance to my understanding of said topic. In the case of The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War it strikes the perfect balance between spending enough time covering the important topics while not allowing the flow to become bogged down in number/fact regurgitation. Here you will not find endless lists of troop strengths and numbers of field artillery pieces owned. What you will find are topics of import and interest. It explores more than just the battlefield experience of the primary theatres of war, but encompasses the periphery theatres as well.
Interspersed throughout the book on virtually every page are photos, drawings, and maps that relate to the subject matter being discussed within those pages. This layout makes the images much more relevant to the reader. The only thing worse than no images within a book of this type are images that are placed in the center of the book without the benefit of the context of the writing. Laid out this way the images do no break up the flow of the text, but enhance the reading experience.
The contributors to this book appear as a sort of all-star lineup. Many of these chapter contributors are major historians within their field; I’m not just taking the word of the publisher’s description, I did a little bit of my own research. To take a cross-section of the contributors: Holger Afflerbach (writing on “The Strategy of the Central Powers, 1914-1917”) is a historian of both World Wars with a specialized focus on Central European history; David French (writing on “The Strategy of the Entente Powers, 1914-1917”) is a British military historian with a specialization on the late nineteenth century; and Susan R. Grayzel (writing on “The Role of Women in the War”) is a director of women’s studies and has researched extensively within that field. That is just three of the twenty-four contributors to this book. To put it frankly, they appear to be quite knowledgeable within their fields and it is wonderful to see these specialists contributing to a compilation work.
While I did not pinpoint any areas in this book that I would raise as a negative issue, I did encounter one element that made me stop and think about the topic deeper. Both of these elements actually refer back to the previous discussion on the contributors. When I opened to the chapter on the female experience in the war and saw that the section was penned by a woman, my initial reactions were mixed. From my count, there are only two female contributors to this book, and one of those wrote the chapter on women. Was this because the editor felt that a female would better portray the female experience and be more credible to the reader because of her gender? Was this because women are more knowledgeable about the history of their own gender? Did a man not want to write about women’s history because it might be viewed as “lesser” history in the grand scheme of the war? All of these questions flew through my head before I had even read the first sentence. These questions led me to research this historian and now I can see the likely reasons why she was chosen as a contributor; she has a lengthy experience with women’s history. However, if I asked these questions, it is likely others will too – and they might go with a gender biased opinion. Overall, I found the chapter to be well written and encompassing the majority of the wartime experiences of women across the theatres involved.
This installment in the Oxford Illustrated series is exactly what I have come to expect from them (and I have read a few of the books in that collection) and they have yet to let me down with their publications. Of all of the books I have read on the subject of the First World War this was the easiest to read and understand and relatively enjoyable to read.
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog.
The dual strengths of this book are its brevity and its contributors. Typically I find the brevity of books on one specific subject to be a hindrance to my understanding of said topic. In the case of The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War it strikes the perfect balance between spending enough time covering the important topics while not allowing the flow to become bogged down in number/fact regurgitation. Here you will not find endless lists of troop strengths and numbers of field artillery pieces owned. What you will find are topics of import and interest. It explores more than just the battlefield experience of the primary theatres of war, but encompasses the periphery theatres as well.
Interspersed throughout the book on virtually every page are photos, drawings, and maps that relate to the subject matter being discussed within those pages. This layout makes the images much more relevant to the reader. The only thing worse than no images within a book of this type are images that are placed in the center of the book without the benefit of the context of the writing. Laid out this way the images do no break up the flow of the text, but enhance the reading experience.
The contributors to this book appear as a sort of all-star lineup. Many of these chapter contributors are major historians within their field; I’m not just taking the word of the publisher’s description, I did a little bit of my own research. To take a cross-section of the contributors: Holger Afflerbach (writing on “The Strategy of the Central Powers, 1914-1917”) is a historian of both World Wars with a specialized focus on Central European history; David French (writing on “The Strategy of the Entente Powers, 1914-1917”) is a British military historian with a specialization on the late nineteenth century; and Susan R. Grayzel (writing on “The Role of Women in the War”) is a director of women’s studies and has researched extensively within that field. That is just three of the twenty-four contributors to this book. To put it frankly, they appear to be quite knowledgeable within their fields and it is wonderful to see these specialists contributing to a compilation work.
While I did not pinpoint any areas in this book that I would raise as a negative issue, I did encounter one element that made me stop and think about the topic deeper. Both of these elements actually refer back to the previous discussion on the contributors. When I opened to the chapter on the female experience in the war and saw that the section was penned by a woman, my initial reactions were mixed. From my count, there are only two female contributors to this book, and one of those wrote the chapter on women. Was this because the editor felt that a female would better portray the female experience and be more credible to the reader because of her gender? Was this because women are more knowledgeable about the history of their own gender? Did a man not want to write about women’s history because it might be viewed as “lesser” history in the grand scheme of the war? All of these questions flew through my head before I had even read the first sentence. These questions led me to research this historian and now I can see the likely reasons why she was chosen as a contributor; she has a lengthy experience with women’s history. However, if I asked these questions, it is likely others will too – and they might go with a gender biased opinion. Overall, I found the chapter to be well written and encompassing the majority of the wartime experiences of women across the theatres involved.
This installment in the Oxford Illustrated series is exactly what I have come to expect from them (and I have read a few of the books in that collection) and they have yet to let me down with their publications. Of all of the books I have read on the subject of the First World War this was the easiest to read and understand and relatively enjoyable to read.
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog.
March 10, 2020
The last line of this book is "We cannot forget, nor can we truly comprehend" and I'd have to agree. I probably only understood half of what was being talked about in this book. This is definitely not for someone who has zero knowledge of the first world war. I was hoping for a comprehensive and chronological approach to reading about world war I but this book was organized more around different topics and themes. It's fine but it did mean that we jumped around the timeline a lot and references were made to things that I didn't know about yet. If I was hoping to understand more about World War I and be able to give a play-by-play of its important events, this book certainly failed to do that for me.
November 19, 2016
I typically have a problem with anthologies because of the differences in the styles of writing of the various authors. Putting an anthology together is apparently a difficult undertaking because you are not just gathering experts you respect in a field of inquiry but you are putting together a book to be read. Of course, some books are designed for reference purposes and not necessarily for reading from cover to cover, or at least it seems that way. Still, there is nothing more boring than an anthology that is simply like reading several short stories by different authors with extremely different writing styles and phrasing. Some anthologies are like an imaginary book that contains an article on bird-watching followed by an article on car repair under the title of Things to Do on Your Day Off.
It is for this reason that I found this book very easy to read and enjoyable. It is a well-thought out anthology of expert conclusions and investigation on the origins and the timeline of the war and is eminently readable and therefore enjoyable to read. The issue for me is that the editor successfully undertook as his stated agenda to give this work an international and complete historical focus, breaking the usual bounds that restrict most histories to a narrower, nationalistic focus. (10) I think by all of the contributors being on the same page, so to speak, the book opened up the war to me in a more understandable manner, and as a result, a more complete manner than other histories I’ve read and even liked. So, in general I enjoyed reading it and could even go fairly quickly with understanding because the authors had an idea of where the editor wanted to head.
Another reason why it is so easy to read is probably that it is a second edition and the editor and the contributors involved in both editions had the opportunity to improve upon what they did. I am sure this also made the book readable as in a first edition authors who write and editors who draw together the work of others and write themselves do not have the opportunity to reconsider things the way they do later. When a book like this, separated in its editions by the better part of two decades, is redone it seems like they have a much better chance of perfecting their work. I would have to read the first edition to prove this to myself but it seems to me that this would be a good reason why this book is so enjoyable to read and so enlightening.
I just found that the book flowed very well in spite of it being written by the hands of many authors. The pictures were placed throughout the book, which gave them context. They weren’t distracting at all as pictures sometimes can be. I think this way is superior to only having a bunch of pages full of pictures in the center of the book that interrupt the narrative and require me to get my mind back into the words. In those cases sometimes you cannot even relate to what the pictures are about as the context has long passed by in the narrative. In the way the editor handled this when you do get to the several pages full of pictures in the center of the book they do not take away too terribly much from the narrative. But, I will have more to say on that later.
I enjoyed the clarity of the book most of all. I find myself, in many historical books written by historians rather than popular books on history written by a journalist or an amateur, having to read the book two or even three times to really get the meaning. The writers in this anthology are pretty clear which for me means that I can finish a chapter and not feel uncertain or frustrated and have to go back. This is extremely valuable for me in a physical book where I cannot just use the Search function to go back over a thought or a conclusion as I can in an eBook. One of the things I enjoyed most about this book, then, was that I could catch the information in one sitting.
Of course, there are things that I did not enjoy about the book. The main thing I did not enjoy were the several pages of pictures in the center. I think pages devoted to just pictures are distracting and take away from the narrative, requiring me to have to get my mind back into the narrative, begging me to find the written information somewhere in what I have read to give flesh to the picture above and beyond the caption. In this book these pictures in the center were completely unnecessary as the spreading out of the pictures in the relevant parts of the book make them part of the narrative and do not take away from the story. I also prefer maps distributed throughout the book based on context and do not much care for a map section in the end of the book. I am not going to switch back and forth. Maps should be provided in context in my opinion.
Furthermore, while I did appreciate the lists of books for further reading, which is something I look for, I prefer to have endnotes or footnotes throughout. I recently read a book on Edwardian era history in England and each chapter contained the books from which that chapter’s information came. It is just my preference but I think each author should have cited his material. It just seems to make this too much like one of those popular histories for general consumption.
This, of course, leads to my concern about the authors not providing the support they should have for the conclusions they drew. Yes, I know they are all top experts on their subjects but even when a distinguished expert gives his opinions and draws his conclusions I feel that providing the background makes for good accountability. The more honest you are the more accountability you need to keep any taint of corruption from your work. Of course, this is just my opinion. As an example, on page 87, Ulrich Trumpener writes, “The Turkish conquest of oil-rich Baku was greatly resented both by Lenin’s government in Moscow and by the Germans.” Then, I go back to, “Further Reading,” and search in vain for Lenin’s diary or notes of meetings or other such primary sources. I see nothing but secondary sources. This makes me feel as if I, the reader, am being held in contempt as a lesser mortal who is not capable of interpreting such things for myself and agreeing with the author or it just makes me suspicious. But, that is my opinion of course.
So, in conclusion, this anthology is very enjoyable to read and filled with information that takes it beyond a mere popular history. And yet, it does not feel the need to provide adequate background information for the observations or conclusions the authors make. We are just supposed to trust these eminent experts and accept their conclusions without being given the opportunity to follow their trails and reach their heights of understanding. Still, I would recommend this book to anyone and happily include it in my library to be read a second, perhaps a third, time even if it might be difficult to refer to for the reasons previously given.
It is for this reason that I found this book very easy to read and enjoyable. It is a well-thought out anthology of expert conclusions and investigation on the origins and the timeline of the war and is eminently readable and therefore enjoyable to read. The issue for me is that the editor successfully undertook as his stated agenda to give this work an international and complete historical focus, breaking the usual bounds that restrict most histories to a narrower, nationalistic focus. (10) I think by all of the contributors being on the same page, so to speak, the book opened up the war to me in a more understandable manner, and as a result, a more complete manner than other histories I’ve read and even liked. So, in general I enjoyed reading it and could even go fairly quickly with understanding because the authors had an idea of where the editor wanted to head.
Another reason why it is so easy to read is probably that it is a second edition and the editor and the contributors involved in both editions had the opportunity to improve upon what they did. I am sure this also made the book readable as in a first edition authors who write and editors who draw together the work of others and write themselves do not have the opportunity to reconsider things the way they do later. When a book like this, separated in its editions by the better part of two decades, is redone it seems like they have a much better chance of perfecting their work. I would have to read the first edition to prove this to myself but it seems to me that this would be a good reason why this book is so enjoyable to read and so enlightening.
I just found that the book flowed very well in spite of it being written by the hands of many authors. The pictures were placed throughout the book, which gave them context. They weren’t distracting at all as pictures sometimes can be. I think this way is superior to only having a bunch of pages full of pictures in the center of the book that interrupt the narrative and require me to get my mind back into the words. In those cases sometimes you cannot even relate to what the pictures are about as the context has long passed by in the narrative. In the way the editor handled this when you do get to the several pages full of pictures in the center of the book they do not take away too terribly much from the narrative. But, I will have more to say on that later.
I enjoyed the clarity of the book most of all. I find myself, in many historical books written by historians rather than popular books on history written by a journalist or an amateur, having to read the book two or even three times to really get the meaning. The writers in this anthology are pretty clear which for me means that I can finish a chapter and not feel uncertain or frustrated and have to go back. This is extremely valuable for me in a physical book where I cannot just use the Search function to go back over a thought or a conclusion as I can in an eBook. One of the things I enjoyed most about this book, then, was that I could catch the information in one sitting.
Of course, there are things that I did not enjoy about the book. The main thing I did not enjoy were the several pages of pictures in the center. I think pages devoted to just pictures are distracting and take away from the narrative, requiring me to have to get my mind back into the narrative, begging me to find the written information somewhere in what I have read to give flesh to the picture above and beyond the caption. In this book these pictures in the center were completely unnecessary as the spreading out of the pictures in the relevant parts of the book make them part of the narrative and do not take away from the story. I also prefer maps distributed throughout the book based on context and do not much care for a map section in the end of the book. I am not going to switch back and forth. Maps should be provided in context in my opinion.
Furthermore, while I did appreciate the lists of books for further reading, which is something I look for, I prefer to have endnotes or footnotes throughout. I recently read a book on Edwardian era history in England and each chapter contained the books from which that chapter’s information came. It is just my preference but I think each author should have cited his material. It just seems to make this too much like one of those popular histories for general consumption.
This, of course, leads to my concern about the authors not providing the support they should have for the conclusions they drew. Yes, I know they are all top experts on their subjects but even when a distinguished expert gives his opinions and draws his conclusions I feel that providing the background makes for good accountability. The more honest you are the more accountability you need to keep any taint of corruption from your work. Of course, this is just my opinion. As an example, on page 87, Ulrich Trumpener writes, “The Turkish conquest of oil-rich Baku was greatly resented both by Lenin’s government in Moscow and by the Germans.” Then, I go back to, “Further Reading,” and search in vain for Lenin’s diary or notes of meetings or other such primary sources. I see nothing but secondary sources. This makes me feel as if I, the reader, am being held in contempt as a lesser mortal who is not capable of interpreting such things for myself and agreeing with the author or it just makes me suspicious. But, that is my opinion of course.
So, in conclusion, this anthology is very enjoyable to read and filled with information that takes it beyond a mere popular history. And yet, it does not feel the need to provide adequate background information for the observations or conclusions the authors make. We are just supposed to trust these eminent experts and accept their conclusions without being given the opportunity to follow their trails and reach their heights of understanding. Still, I would recommend this book to anyone and happily include it in my library to be read a second, perhaps a third, time even if it might be difficult to refer to for the reasons previously given.
March 18, 2024
This historical piece of literature is about the entire history of World War One. It covers the events leading up to the great war, the events that triggered the Great War, and the events that happened during the Great War, and after. The book summarizes the events before world war 1, like the franco-prussian war that angered France when the Germans took Alcase-Lorraine. It also greatly describes how increasing Nationalization and industrialization led to tensions between the British and the Germans. The chaos in the Balkan regions and the middle east is leading to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian empire. Alliances formed in the late 1800’s turned most empires against each other. The triple entente of Britain, France and Russia faced off against The Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. Insurgencies in the Balkans and the independence of many Balkan states were really well described and explained. The assassination of the Austro-Hungarian archduke that led to the start of world war 1 was super detailed. The black hand and the driver turns that led up to it were actually part of it. The book has a lot of varied diction and uses a lot of syntax. It is super descriptive and is so carefully researched that the entirety of World War 1 is explained in a 320 worded novel. This is an outstanding source of knowledge for knowing about World War 1, and I would highly recommend it for many people. This book would be great for those who love history!
December 19, 2024
Strachan's (ed.) history of WWI is one of the best histories I have ever read. Each of the 23 chapters is written by a specialist in the field, as with others in the Oxford history series.
Previously I had read 13 books, fiction and nonfiction, with some relation to WWI: 'One of Ours', 'Lady Chatterley's Lover', 'A Traveler at 40', 'To the Last Man', 'Fall of Giants', 'Soldier's Pay', 'Parade's End', 'The Good Soldier', 'Mrs. Dalloway', 'A farewell to Arms', 'The Book of the Homeless', and most famously, 'All Quiet on the Western Front.' Finally, a favorite of mine is 'The Great War in Modern Memory,' a review of literature relating to the war.
It has been said that WWI constituted the actual end of the Victorian era because the world perhaps still had a Victorian mindset in many ways despite huge technological advances after her death in 1901. The war shocked the world even more than did the even more catastrophic WWII.
Strachan's book places much more emphasis on the eastern front of the war compared with the customary western front focus known to American readers of history. It also provides much more on the combatants other than the usual France, Britain and Germany and action along the trench lines. It is by far the most complete volume on the subject that I've read. I've placed it on my "favorite nonfiction" shelf.
Previously I had read 13 books, fiction and nonfiction, with some relation to WWI: 'One of Ours', 'Lady Chatterley's Lover', 'A Traveler at 40', 'To the Last Man', 'Fall of Giants', 'Soldier's Pay', 'Parade's End', 'The Good Soldier', 'Mrs. Dalloway', 'A farewell to Arms', 'The Book of the Homeless', and most famously, 'All Quiet on the Western Front.' Finally, a favorite of mine is 'The Great War in Modern Memory,' a review of literature relating to the war.
It has been said that WWI constituted the actual end of the Victorian era because the world perhaps still had a Victorian mindset in many ways despite huge technological advances after her death in 1901. The war shocked the world even more than did the even more catastrophic WWII.
Strachan's book places much more emphasis on the eastern front of the war compared with the customary western front focus known to American readers of history. It also provides much more on the combatants other than the usual France, Britain and Germany and action along the trench lines. It is by far the most complete volume on the subject that I've read. I've placed it on my "favorite nonfiction" shelf.
January 22, 2023
It gave me a decent understanding of what happened. Comprehensive way to catch up on something I was never taught in school.
The chapters on specific topics (economics, ideology, the roles of women, airplanes, ...) are really interesting. I wish there was more about everyday life during the war and how people dealt with it. There is too much about army maneuvering on this or that front during this or that year.
Some of the chapter authors use very flowery and intricate language. I'm sure it is quite deep and poetic but it makes the history (the actual subject of the book) less accessible.
The chapters on specific topics (economics, ideology, the roles of women, airplanes, ...) are really interesting. I wish there was more about everyday life during the war and how people dealt with it. There is too much about army maneuvering on this or that front during this or that year.
Some of the chapter authors use very flowery and intricate language. I'm sure it is quite deep and poetic but it makes the history (the actual subject of the book) less accessible.
December 7, 2022
This is clearly a book from a time (in the quite recent past!) when you could have an entire collection of essays about WWI where Britain and France's colonies get no more than a passing mention. I do love collections of essays though.
January 15, 2023
A very detailed and insightful history. A little tough to read at times but certainly worth the effort. I had no idea of the intertwined politics of all the countries involved. I have a much better grasp of things and how it carried on to the second war.
September 5, 2018
Good for overviews.
January 17, 2019
Read for class - it was ok - covered a lot of aspects of the war but didn’t have a lot of personality
Read
November 13, 2024不同面向的一战
March 19, 2017
What I don't like about Good Reads is that they are linked to Amazon, yet you scan the barcode and the latest edition isn't found!
Great book, though read it in conjunction with Fussel's book about WWI
Great book, though read it in conjunction with Fussel's book about WWI
October 22, 2025
I got this as a reference for some other books I was reading (and plan to read) on WWI but then I ended up reading the whole damn thing. Very much a textbook, would never give this to someone and tell them it’s a must-read. However, the chapters by different authors are almost all excellently done and come together to give a lot of information. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought. By the way, if you’re talking about a bunch of battles, I’m gonna need more maps.
April 7, 2016
If you are looking for an readable, easily comprehensible digest of the First World War, you could do much worse than reading the new edition of The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War. In the book, you will find discussions on tactics, strategy, examinations of the various fronts alongside munitions, technology, peace negotiations, and memory
Hew Strachan once again brought together a group of historians writing essays in 24 chapters. The book opens with "The Origins of the War" and closes with "Memory and the Great War". In between are essays on aerial warfare, Central Power and Entente Power strategies, economics, women, politics, propaganda, and peace. The one new essay is Robert Gerwarth's "No End to War" which examines when the conflict actually ended, especially in the East and Middle East. Several of the essays have new authors and most have been updated in light of new scholarship.
The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War (New Edition) is worth reading for its own sake. But do libraries need to replace their 1998 edition? That is a decision each library would need to make based on its circumstances and budget. But if a library or reader is looking for a quick way to review the First World War, The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War will fulfill that need.
Hew Strachan once again brought together a group of historians writing essays in 24 chapters. The book opens with "The Origins of the War" and closes with "Memory and the Great War". In between are essays on aerial warfare, Central Power and Entente Power strategies, economics, women, politics, propaganda, and peace. The one new essay is Robert Gerwarth's "No End to War" which examines when the conflict actually ended, especially in the East and Middle East. Several of the essays have new authors and most have been updated in light of new scholarship.
The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War (New Edition) is worth reading for its own sake. But do libraries need to replace their 1998 edition? That is a decision each library would need to make based on its circumstances and budget. But if a library or reader is looking for a quick way to review the First World War, The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War will fulfill that need.
March 12, 2016
Approaching the WWI in a myriad of different facets proves to be an interesting education for someone who had never been thaught about the Great War*. The book does not concern itself only with the events leading up to the Great War, the many different battlefields of the countries that were caught in the - to quote John Galsworthy - tornado of death, it also covers social (the lives of women during the War and the morale of the soldiers) and political issues.
The only thing in which aspect the book could improve, I think, might be moving the maps illustrated only on the very last pages to be incorporated in the chapters on strategies of the Central and Entente Powers and the manoeuvre warfare. At the point I was reading those I didn't even realize they actually were maps in the book and it would have been a great help getting a clear overview of the complex situation that was going on.
*I never learnt about WWI in high school due to transfering to a different school which was apparently ahead in the subject of history, leaving me with knowledge gap of everything between the Dutch East India Company and the interbellum.
The only thing in which aspect the book could improve, I think, might be moving the maps illustrated only on the very last pages to be incorporated in the chapters on strategies of the Central and Entente Powers and the manoeuvre warfare. At the point I was reading those I didn't even realize they actually were maps in the book and it would have been a great help getting a clear overview of the complex situation that was going on.
*I never learnt about WWI in high school due to transfering to a different school which was apparently ahead in the subject of history, leaving me with knowledge gap of everything between the Dutch East India Company and the interbellum.
June 17, 2014
The new edition of this book has perfect timing as 2014 marks 100 years since the start of World War I. The book is a series of essays from historians about different parts of the war - including social, political, technological, and military perspectives. Parts of the book are chronological while others are strictly thematic. Any single volume on WWI is going to have gaps, but this provides a wonderful introduction. For those looking for more, this work can be supplemented by the full length works by the various authors. The "illustrated" part of the book includes photos and illustrations that help the reader more fully understand the time in which the events occurred, though more maps could be helpful.
*I received an e-galley from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
*I received an e-galley from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
July 22, 2016
Good information but was disappointed in the lack of pictures. Not to be confused there are wonderful pictures but as an illustrated history book I expected there to be lots and lots of pictures to go with the text.
Arc from NetGalley
Arc from NetGalley
May 25, 2014
“One needed a new word for mud, said John Masefield, a new word for death, said Louis Mairet, a new word for war said Beverley Nichols. ‘Only the names of places had dignity,’ concluded Ernest Hemingway, the American writer who served with the Italians in the war.”
November 9, 2014
A succinct analysis of the First World War by a collection of historians ... each essay focuses on a different aspect of the war ... splendid overview ...
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September 27, 2015A pleasingly thick volume that brings together the work of a number of well-regarded authors under Oxford's reliably accessible Illustrated History imprint.
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May 21, 2009Used for exhibition
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