Review (PDF) The First World War: A Complete History
They called it the War to End All Wars, but it was only the beginning of the global conflicts that rocked the 20th Century. The First World War redrew national boundaries, eliminated monarchies, and left millions of soldiers and civilians dead, and its impact has continued to shape the Western political and social landscape since.In this sweeping narrative, best-selling historian Martin Gilbert provides a view of the conflict that’s both global and personal, drawing on eyewitness accounts, contemporary reporting, and first-hand documentation. It offers an immediate, compelling voice to familiar historical events, bringing new facets of the conflict to life and personalizing the tale with gripping survivor testimonies.About the AuthorSir Martin Gilbert is a leading British historian and the author of more than eighty books. Specializing in 20th century history, he is also the official biographer of Winston Churchill and has written a best-selling eight-volume biography of the war leader’s life.Born in London in 1936, Martin Gilbert was evacuated to Canada with his family at the beginning of World War II as part of the British government’s efforts to protect children from the brutal bombings of the Luftwaffe. He was made a Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, in 1962. He is the author of several definitive historical works examining the Holocaust, the First and Second World Wars, and the history of the 20th century.In 1990, Gilbert was designated a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and was awarded a Knighthood in 1995. Oxford University awarded him a Doctorate in 1999. Today, he is a sought-after speaker on Churchill, Jewish history, and the history of the 20th century, and he travels frequently to lecture at colleges, universities, and organizations around the world.
File Size: 26773 KB
Print Length: 631 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1409102793
Publisher: RosettaBooks (June 5, 2014)
Publication Date: June 5, 2014
Sold by: Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00KTHT294
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #88,515 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #46 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > Military > World War I #112 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > Modern (16th-21st Centuries) > 20th Century #123 in Books > History > Military > World War I
I've read a ton of books on WWI, including many on specific topics in the war, but it had been a long time since I'd read a general overall history of the war, so I picked this one up and just finished reading it.I think it is an excellent introduction to the subject for those who haven't gone deeply into the history of the conflict, but who are interested in getting some knowledge of it.However, it is written from a VERY British viewpoint. This doesn't mean it neglects the fronts in the war in which the British were not involved. However even covering the Eastern or Serbian fronts, or the Armenian tragedies, the view is British and the emphasis is on how events in these theatres of the war effected the British war effort. (Oddly, the one area that seems a little short in the book is the coverage of the French fighting. The book, f'rinstance, is somewhat skimpy on the battle of Verdun.)Also, if you are American (like me), you'll wonder if we did anything in the war besides blunder around and die of Spanish Flu. Granted, the main effect of the American war effort was moral rather than military, convincing the Germans that they couldn't win, and that, because we were in it, we would moderate the demands of the British and French when it came time to make peace, making them (the Germans) more willing to give up before being completely beaten in the field; and also that the full weight of the American military was never felt, due to the quick ending of the war in late 1918. But I wonder if we were as incompetent as is portrayed in this book.Two complaints. First, too much poetry, and too much emphasis on the poets and artists and writers in the trenches. That's my personal taste. I just don't like poetry.
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