The Western Front 1914-1918

by John Terraine

John Terraine is perhaps the most distinguished historian of the First World War. In this collection of fascinating essays he addresses a number of particular topics - among them the genesis of the Western Front, Lloyd George and his influence on the war, Haig, Plumer, the battles of Guise, Passchendaele and Amiens but his specially written introduction and linking passages give the book a remarkable unity and enable it to be read as a coherent whole. The author's lucid style stands out in making this book a model of accurate, well-argued and readable military history.

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

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 1964

Reviews

[Ryan Wulfsohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published in 1964, this is excellent stuff. Predictably (and rightly) harsh on Lloyd George and Wilson, supportive of Haig, Robertson and Plumer. While people like Alan Clark were writing nonsense (and worse getting it taken seriously), Terraine was getting to the crux of the matter- there were no short-cuts to victory, and Britain played the biggest (but by no means the only) part in winning the war.