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A Short History of World War I: An Accessible and Accurate Account for Veterans, Students, and Historians
World War I was a bloodletting so vast and unprecedented that for a generation it was known simply as the Great War. Casualty lists reached unimagined proportions as the same ground -- places like Ypres and the Somme -- was fought over again and again. Other major bloody battles remain vivid in memory to this day: Gallipoli and the Battle of Jutland are but two examples. Europe was at war with itself, and the effect on Western civilization was profound, its repercussions felt even today.World War I saw the introduction of modern technology into the military arena: The tank, airplane, machine gun, submarine, and -- most lethal of all -- poison gas, all received their first widespread use. Professor Stokesbury analyzes these technological innovations and the war's complex military campaigns in lucid detail. At the same time he discusses the great political events that unfolded during the war, such as the Russian Revolution and the end of the Hapsburg dynasty, putting the social and political side of the war into the context of modern European history.
A Short History of World War I is the first history of this war to be written in twenty years. It incorporates recent research and current thinking about the war in a highly readable and lively style.
A Short History of World War I is the first history of this war to be written in twenty years. It incorporates recent research and current thinking about the war in a highly readable and lively style.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 30, 2013
This was an assigned textbook for a military history course I took during my final year of college. Unsurprisingly, I completed the entire course without ever sitting down and reading this or any of the other assigned works, instead simply skimming for what information I needed (and showing up to all of the marvelously entertaining lectures).
Some time after graduation, however, I had time on my hands and actually decided to try reading the book. It has been one of my favorites ever since.
I am not an expert, but I guess that as a one-volume, introductory history of World War I, Stokesbury's work is at least adequate; military history is endlessly contested and I would certainly not be surprised if current scholarly opinion would find various shortcomings in A Short History, but if it is not the Standard Work it's probably still at least a competent account.
As literature, however, it is absolutely magnificent. A Short History of World War I is absolutely not an anonymous encyclopedia article; Stokesbury is a constant presence in his narrative, making the war a human story via judicious use of dry humor, pointed irony and a great gift for anecdote. Above all, the language itself is masterly, occasionally approaching poetry in its grace. The opening lines will never leave me:
I re-read A Short History of World War I nearly every year, and have yet to tire of it.
Some time after graduation, however, I had time on my hands and actually decided to try reading the book. It has been one of my favorites ever since.
I am not an expert, but I guess that as a one-volume, introductory history of World War I, Stokesbury's work is at least adequate; military history is endlessly contested and I would certainly not be surprised if current scholarly opinion would find various shortcomings in A Short History, but if it is not the Standard Work it's probably still at least a competent account.
As literature, however, it is absolutely magnificent. A Short History of World War I is absolutely not an anonymous encyclopedia article; Stokesbury is a constant presence in his narrative, making the war a human story via judicious use of dry humor, pointed irony and a great gift for anecdote. Above all, the language itself is masterly, occasionally approaching poetry in its grace. The opening lines will never leave me:
The Summer of 1914 was the fairest in living memory. Grass had never been greener, nor skies bluer. Europe lay rich and ripening under the warming sun, and from the Ural Mountains to the wave-beaten west of Ireland the cows fattened, the newborn animals played in the rich fields, and lovers strolled in the country lanes.As Stokesbury goes on to point out, this postwar view "was the trick of selective memory," but reading his wonderful prose one can easily experience the vision's appeal, nonetheless.
I re-read A Short History of World War I nearly every year, and have yet to tire of it.
December 14, 2009
The best short history on WWI written. If you are looking for a well written military history, that balances a good narrative with accurate history, you've come to the right place. This book will give you an excellent overview of all theaters of the conflict,as well as the strategies, tactics and personalities of WWI. The book's shortcoming is in the maps, which are a poor supplement to the text.
Writing a readable military history (with an emphasis on good history) is a daunting task and an art form that few writers have been able to achieve. Stokesbury's WWI book ranks with Foote's volumes on the Civil War.
Writing a readable military history (with an emphasis on good history) is a daunting task and an art form that few writers have been able to achieve. Stokesbury's WWI book ranks with Foote's volumes on the Civil War.
November 8, 2013
Let me start with what this book isn't. It isn't for the serious Historiographer. Most "short" books aren't. This book also isn't "short" at ~350 pages. How can it when were talking about "world war"?
What this book is, is an easily digestible narrative of World War I. The reader will have a frame of reference, not just of geography but also of time, and provides a springboard to further explore the "War To End All Wars". Stokesbury writes with a touch of wit and sarcasm, not to be offensive, but to bring to light the ridiculousness of it all. The book exposes the reader not just to the military aspect in the War, but the sociological reason the belligerents were involved in the first place (what I call the "WIIFM" effect- What's in it for me). Blood-debt, Nationalism, conquest, shortsightedness, "group-think", money and Machismo all lead to the deaths of tens of millions of Europeans.
Often forgotten as "ancient history" by today's standards, the outcome of World War I is important. The outcome of the war marked the end of European Aristocracy and ushered in the shaping of our modern world. The outcome also brought about the rise to power of one of history's most brutal regimes in human history.......
What this book is, is an easily digestible narrative of World War I. The reader will have a frame of reference, not just of geography but also of time, and provides a springboard to further explore the "War To End All Wars". Stokesbury writes with a touch of wit and sarcasm, not to be offensive, but to bring to light the ridiculousness of it all. The book exposes the reader not just to the military aspect in the War, but the sociological reason the belligerents were involved in the first place (what I call the "WIIFM" effect- What's in it for me). Blood-debt, Nationalism, conquest, shortsightedness, "group-think", money and Machismo all lead to the deaths of tens of millions of Europeans.
Often forgotten as "ancient history" by today's standards, the outcome of World War I is important. The outcome of the war marked the end of European Aristocracy and ushered in the shaping of our modern world. The outcome also brought about the rise to power of one of history's most brutal regimes in human history.......
September 10, 2024
Reading this book to me was akin to eating a really good burger. You’ve had one hundreds of times before, surely there’s nothing more to surprise you about them? Then, as you bite into it you find out that the cook added their own little ingredient that makes it feel like this is the first time you’ve ever had a burger before. The author turned what could’ve been a pretty cut-and-dried book going over all the events of WW1 and made it sound dramatic at times and poetic at others with his own touch to the narrative of the war that makes it easier to follow and understand. Of course, the book doesn’t get too deep into it, but it doesn’t try to be; instead of being bogged down while reading about fronts and fighting, the narrative flows through important events which makes it all the easier to follow. In the end this book is certainly an excellent summary of WW1.
January 14, 2018
OMG this was dull. It read like just one long stream of consciousness. I got no sense of the impact or the emotions of war. Just a long list of peoples names, troop movements, battles. I got so much more out of "Dan Carlin's Hardcore History". I will not be reading "A Short History of World War II"
June 26, 2022
Laborious. Interesting, but difficult to focus on.
August 18, 2017
Excellent, thorough and unbiased. Intelligently written, easy to read and just the right amount of detail to provide a complete but not exhaustive history of WWI. I'm reasonably up on my history but I learned quite a bit.
December 28, 2017
A solid, mostly engaging overview of the Great War. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as an intro to the topic (I recommend Dan Carlin's Hardcore History series Blueprint for Armageddon as an intro) but for a follow up that condenses a hell of a big war into a manageable number of pages, this is a great place to go. My understanding is that this book is used as a text in history classes, and that makes sense -- it kind of reads like one, tbh.
That's not entirely a bad thing, but it does make for some kind of dry reading at times. Not that this is a totally sterile recitation of the names, dates and places that comprise WWI, but it's more focused on covering all the important people, places and things, and that means it has to be pretty high level to come in at under 400 pages. Alas, that means only cursory looks at the stuff that makes history fascinating -- the personalities, plots and bizarre happenstance that drive events. You get a bit of this, but having heard, for example, how Erich von Falkenhayn rose to prominence by his own personal bravery, it's a little of a letdown when he's reduced to just another ultimately failed German general in this telling. Again, not a criticism so much as a recognition of what type of history book we're dealing with here.
There is an extensive "further reading" list and the author explicitly says that a true enthusiast for the history of the war has literal years of reading ahead of them, so in all ways this is a great starting point for the budding WWI enthusiast. It's worth noting that the author is not afraid to make judgments, offer clever asides and the occasional wry observation about how things could have gone, all of which enliven the book a great deal. It's just that, well, there's a lot of stuff to cover, so that stuff is at a premium.
TL;DR a bit dry, but a great way to get started on a study of WWI, supposing you've already got the bug from somewhere else.
That's not entirely a bad thing, but it does make for some kind of dry reading at times. Not that this is a totally sterile recitation of the names, dates and places that comprise WWI, but it's more focused on covering all the important people, places and things, and that means it has to be pretty high level to come in at under 400 pages. Alas, that means only cursory looks at the stuff that makes history fascinating -- the personalities, plots and bizarre happenstance that drive events. You get a bit of this, but having heard, for example, how Erich von Falkenhayn rose to prominence by his own personal bravery, it's a little of a letdown when he's reduced to just another ultimately failed German general in this telling. Again, not a criticism so much as a recognition of what type of history book we're dealing with here.
There is an extensive "further reading" list and the author explicitly says that a true enthusiast for the history of the war has literal years of reading ahead of them, so in all ways this is a great starting point for the budding WWI enthusiast. It's worth noting that the author is not afraid to make judgments, offer clever asides and the occasional wry observation about how things could have gone, all of which enliven the book a great deal. It's just that, well, there's a lot of stuff to cover, so that stuff is at a premium.
TL;DR a bit dry, but a great way to get started on a study of WWI, supposing you've already got the bug from somewhere else.
April 24, 2016
I highly recommend A Short History of World War I to anyone interested in a good, general look at the war which can be considered the cause of many 20th century problems: the rise of communism, WWII, and the Cold War. The author moves quickly, giving praise where needed (a rare event in this war) and handing out criticism to everyone else.
Why my interest in this book? The August 2014 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war is probably what caused me to add this to my read list, but I have a longtime, personal interest in WWI, dating back to elementary school. A childhood friend of mine was the grandson (thanks to some large families and long generations) of Dr. Claude Martin of Welsh, LA, who served the USA in the war and earned the French Croix de Guerre medal for his bravery under fire and treatment of the wounded. As a 5th grader, I used many items of Dr. Martin to create a social studies project, including a gas mask, medals, and a stereoscope for viewing images.
It's a haunting thought: what might have been? This book is a good start for you to gain knowledge and perhaps answer that question yourself. Need another reason? July 1, 2016 will be the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles in history and a very dark day for the British Army.
Why my interest in this book? The August 2014 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war is probably what caused me to add this to my read list, but I have a longtime, personal interest in WWI, dating back to elementary school. A childhood friend of mine was the grandson (thanks to some large families and long generations) of Dr. Claude Martin of Welsh, LA, who served the USA in the war and earned the French Croix de Guerre medal for his bravery under fire and treatment of the wounded. As a 5th grader, I used many items of Dr. Martin to create a social studies project, including a gas mask, medals, and a stereoscope for viewing images.
It's a haunting thought: what might have been? This book is a good start for you to gain knowledge and perhaps answer that question yourself. Need another reason? July 1, 2016 will be the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles in history and a very dark day for the British Army.
July 10, 2017
Very readable. Anything but dry. Just the right length, and amount of detail and of overview. And with 'editorial' type insights by the author. My only quibble is that, like most books that cite numerous geographic references (towns, rivers, mountains), the few maps provided here didn't include many (most?) of the citations in the text. Of course, it would be impossible to depict all of them in a reasonable number of maps, but 3, 2 or even 1 map per chapter would have helped greatly. Nevertheless, the book is quite comprehensible as is.
What makes WW I so absolutely fascinating is, aside from degree of horror and magnitude almost unimaginable, 1) the complete stupidity of it - no underlying principle for which any of the belligerents fought (except perhaps at the end, when the U.S. felt it had reasons to finally go in);
2) its having been completely avoidable (but for miscalculations by so many governments). I think Stokesbury has captured this aspect very well.
What makes WW I so absolutely fascinating is, aside from degree of horror and magnitude almost unimaginable, 1) the complete stupidity of it - no underlying principle for which any of the belligerents fought (except perhaps at the end, when the U.S. felt it had reasons to finally go in);
2) its having been completely avoidable (but for miscalculations by so many governments). I think Stokesbury has captured this aspect very well.
July 17, 2024
My second favorite book even though it always makes me sad.
October 27, 2022
A Short History of WWI
A Short History of WWI by James L. Stokesbury tells the history of World War 1, the
escalation and consequences of the war as well as the toll it had on the countries involved. One of the bloodiest wars in the history of the world.
The Austrio-Hungarian Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated by Serbian nationalists. This led to increased tensions among Austria-Hungary and Serbia which led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. This eventually led to Germany and Russia coming to their respective allies' sides and eventually declaring war on each other. The conflict was between the Allies and the Central Powers. The Allies included: Serbia, Russia, France, Great Britain and eventually the United States. The Central Powers included: Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.
Germany declared war on Russia at the beginning of the war. Which escalated much further when Russia and Great Britain declared war on Germany. Along with the respective allies of both countries it quickly became a global conflict.
The bloodiest battles of the war were the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme. These were the biggest and most important battles of the war. The Battle of the Somme took place between the British and French and the German Empire and was one of the bloodiest battles in human history. The battle resulted in over 325,000 deaths and ended in Allied victory. The battle of Verdun
In 1917 Germany sent a telegram to Mexican legislation asking Mexico to keep the US occupied and they would give them back the land the US took from them in 1914. The British intercepted the telegram and decoded it then sent it to the US. The US quickly declared war on Germany and mobilized their military. Within a year the war was won and Germany was forced to agree to a peace treaty. All of the countries involved in WW1 signed the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty forced Germany to pay large sums of money and reparations to countries they fought against in the war and made them demilitarized. This effectively put an end to WWI and ushered in years of peace.
I very much enjoyed reading A Short History of World War I. Although the title said it was a short history it went more in depth into the war than I had ever seen before. The story told not only about how the war affected one country but all of them and the lasting impact they had on the countries involved. It showed how the slightest things could change the course of history “Is it too imaginative to say that if the Schlieffen Plan had worked, Adolf Hitler might have remained a private in the List Regiment and Joseph Stalin a Georgian Peasant?” (275). Another thing I thought was interesting was the Schlieffen Plan. In all it was a pretty ingenious plan. Sweeping a large number of troops through Belgium and to Paris before the Armies had time to react to make the war a one sided front was a smart plan, though the execution was not good. The areas attacked by the Germans were wrong and they were unable to sweep through Belgium as planned. Eventually the plan was rendered ineffective “The Battle of the Marne was the end of the Schlieffen Plan, the end of the era of short wars, and the end of old Europe as well” (95) the battle was a German defeat and marked the prolonging of the war ending Germany’s plan to take France in a short amount of time. Though the war was ended and a peace was put into place with the Treaty of Versailles it would not last long. The treaty put major strain on Germany and her people due to the reparations owed and the increasing tension and hatred building in the country eventually led to the rise of Hitler and WWII. Discontent peace causes further war
A Short History of WWI by James L. Stokesbury tells the history of World War 1, the
escalation and consequences of the war as well as the toll it had on the countries involved. One of the bloodiest wars in the history of the world.
The Austrio-Hungarian Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated by Serbian nationalists. This led to increased tensions among Austria-Hungary and Serbia which led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. This eventually led to Germany and Russia coming to their respective allies' sides and eventually declaring war on each other. The conflict was between the Allies and the Central Powers. The Allies included: Serbia, Russia, France, Great Britain and eventually the United States. The Central Powers included: Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.
Germany declared war on Russia at the beginning of the war. Which escalated much further when Russia and Great Britain declared war on Germany. Along with the respective allies of both countries it quickly became a global conflict.
The bloodiest battles of the war were the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme. These were the biggest and most important battles of the war. The Battle of the Somme took place between the British and French and the German Empire and was one of the bloodiest battles in human history. The battle resulted in over 325,000 deaths and ended in Allied victory. The battle of Verdun
In 1917 Germany sent a telegram to Mexican legislation asking Mexico to keep the US occupied and they would give them back the land the US took from them in 1914. The British intercepted the telegram and decoded it then sent it to the US. The US quickly declared war on Germany and mobilized their military. Within a year the war was won and Germany was forced to agree to a peace treaty. All of the countries involved in WW1 signed the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty forced Germany to pay large sums of money and reparations to countries they fought against in the war and made them demilitarized. This effectively put an end to WWI and ushered in years of peace.
I very much enjoyed reading A Short History of World War I. Although the title said it was a short history it went more in depth into the war than I had ever seen before. The story told not only about how the war affected one country but all of them and the lasting impact they had on the countries involved. It showed how the slightest things could change the course of history “Is it too imaginative to say that if the Schlieffen Plan had worked, Adolf Hitler might have remained a private in the List Regiment and Joseph Stalin a Georgian Peasant?” (275). Another thing I thought was interesting was the Schlieffen Plan. In all it was a pretty ingenious plan. Sweeping a large number of troops through Belgium and to Paris before the Armies had time to react to make the war a one sided front was a smart plan, though the execution was not good. The areas attacked by the Germans were wrong and they were unable to sweep through Belgium as planned. Eventually the plan was rendered ineffective “The Battle of the Marne was the end of the Schlieffen Plan, the end of the era of short wars, and the end of old Europe as well” (95) the battle was a German defeat and marked the prolonging of the war ending Germany’s plan to take France in a short amount of time. Though the war was ended and a peace was put into place with the Treaty of Versailles it would not last long. The treaty put major strain on Germany and her people due to the reparations owed and the increasing tension and hatred building in the country eventually led to the rise of Hitler and WWII. Discontent peace causes further war
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2022
This is only getting at best 3/5, which I hate to do to a book. One issue is the awful selection of maps. There were a great many times I wanted to find a place on a map and the maps just didn't have the places on any of them. Another map related issue is the orientation. Some maps the writing forced you to flip the book horizontally to read the names of places while others didn't do this, which is just annoying when you have to keep flipping back then flipping the book sideways.
I would have liked to have had the key battles and figures outlined and defined a bit more clearly at times, perhaps with some more detailed maps illustrating events/movements. I understand this is a short history, but this could have been presented a lot better with some lists of names/places/battles and better maps.
There were some very well written passages but the book does tend to get bogged down at points by dull troop movement/deployment descriptions, which I never have a good time visualizing. This is a main reason for the lower rating. That said there was a really well written chapter on naval warfare. The content regarding aircraft is very minimal, which disappointed me. Imagine flying the skies among hundreds of other aircraft, some ally, some foe! I felt this deserved a chapter similar to the great one on naval warfare. This was incredibly revolutionary and barely touched upon and all but shrugged off. Tanks were also very minimally talked about. We get minimal descriptions about what they're capable of. We just get vague statements that this many tanks were used, they were unreliable and generally insignificant in the war. I would have liked at least a few pages of discourse on their capabilities and some situations they proved useful or otherwise, more specifically. For instance, what was it like to drive one! What about the horrors associated with combat in the first tanks. The author takes a topic that should be exciting and intriguing and manages, I found, to make it rather dull.
If you are expecting a beginners guide to linearly describe events, well, this may not be the best out there. This left me confused at times with historical references or quips that were never explained. It assumes a knowledge of pre-WWI history that I simply lack. To be fair, perhaps this was my fault for choosing this book before reading up on prior historical events that lead to WWI.
This isn't the WWI book I had hoped it to be. I am left with a general grasp of the impact of the war but on the finer details more muddy. That said, I don't have a particularly good memory. I took 5 years to do a BA English degree with honours, so I am somewhat well read. Given that fact, I found this book a tad dull at times when I felt it should have been more emotive.
Overall not a terrible book, but perhaps one should be a bit more versed in prior history to pick up the odd references here and there one may otherwise be confused by.
I would have liked to have had the key battles and figures outlined and defined a bit more clearly at times, perhaps with some more detailed maps illustrating events/movements. I understand this is a short history, but this could have been presented a lot better with some lists of names/places/battles and better maps.
There were some very well written passages but the book does tend to get bogged down at points by dull troop movement/deployment descriptions, which I never have a good time visualizing. This is a main reason for the lower rating. That said there was a really well written chapter on naval warfare. The content regarding aircraft is very minimal, which disappointed me. Imagine flying the skies among hundreds of other aircraft, some ally, some foe! I felt this deserved a chapter similar to the great one on naval warfare. This was incredibly revolutionary and barely touched upon and all but shrugged off. Tanks were also very minimally talked about. We get minimal descriptions about what they're capable of. We just get vague statements that this many tanks were used, they were unreliable and generally insignificant in the war. I would have liked at least a few pages of discourse on their capabilities and some situations they proved useful or otherwise, more specifically. For instance, what was it like to drive one! What about the horrors associated with combat in the first tanks. The author takes a topic that should be exciting and intriguing and manages, I found, to make it rather dull.
If you are expecting a beginners guide to linearly describe events, well, this may not be the best out there. This left me confused at times with historical references or quips that were never explained. It assumes a knowledge of pre-WWI history that I simply lack. To be fair, perhaps this was my fault for choosing this book before reading up on prior historical events that lead to WWI.
This isn't the WWI book I had hoped it to be. I am left with a general grasp of the impact of the war but on the finer details more muddy. That said, I don't have a particularly good memory. I took 5 years to do a BA English degree with honours, so I am somewhat well read. Given that fact, I found this book a tad dull at times when I felt it should have been more emotive.
Overall not a terrible book, but perhaps one should be a bit more versed in prior history to pick up the odd references here and there one may otherwise be confused by.
May 8, 2025
I actually really enjoyed this as opposed to some of the other Stokesbury history books. Maybe it was because of more access to information, but I felt like this gave a detailed and fact based perspective on the overall war themes and battles. I also really appreciated the different characters that were written about and thought the writings about their perspectives/goals/objectives were fascinating. I would’ve preferred more visuals/map overlays to describe more of the troop movements and formations, but overall very well written.
Other than that, what I learned was that this war was an absolute disgrace and could’ve been easily avoided and should’ve never happened. I came into this confused on what really caused the war (obviously I knew about the assassination of Franz Ferdinand & the alliances that were formed before the war), how the war ended (obviously I knew about the treaty of Versailles & who was involved), and what the major battles were. After a couple month journey of diving into the main actors, areas of conflict, goals of each nation and what they had to lose, I left more confused that when I had started. The only thing I learned was the horrific sacrifice the soldiers & civilians of Europe had to make during this period. It was truly awful and brutal and caused by complete incompetence by senior military officials. From my understanding, this war brought new technologies (which in turn caused unimaginable horrors) and completely devastated an entire generation. There were many chapters where my heart broke for the people involved in the conflict at that time, I couldn’t even imagine the sacrifice these people were forced to make for what? Because all the leaders of these nations had beef with each other? Because leaders wanted to assert themselves as the main power in the world? And even the western alliance that ‘won’ the war, what were they awarded with? Complete devastation & turmoil (especially France & Russia) as well as an economy in ruin and a lack of working aged citizens which was a precursor to the worst economic depression in recorded history. Even the treaty of Versailles, which was taught to me as a being an amazing document of peace amongst major powers, seemed to be extremely vague, was not ‘widely’ agreed upon, and if anything, almost guaranteed a figure would arise in the world that would stand up to these phony rules that were attempted to destroy Germany forever (hint hint H*****).
To summarize: great book, horrific & unnecessary war that caused an extreme amount of pain.
Other than that, what I learned was that this war was an absolute disgrace and could’ve been easily avoided and should’ve never happened. I came into this confused on what really caused the war (obviously I knew about the assassination of Franz Ferdinand & the alliances that were formed before the war), how the war ended (obviously I knew about the treaty of Versailles & who was involved), and what the major battles were. After a couple month journey of diving into the main actors, areas of conflict, goals of each nation and what they had to lose, I left more confused that when I had started. The only thing I learned was the horrific sacrifice the soldiers & civilians of Europe had to make during this period. It was truly awful and brutal and caused by complete incompetence by senior military officials. From my understanding, this war brought new technologies (which in turn caused unimaginable horrors) and completely devastated an entire generation. There were many chapters where my heart broke for the people involved in the conflict at that time, I couldn’t even imagine the sacrifice these people were forced to make for what? Because all the leaders of these nations had beef with each other? Because leaders wanted to assert themselves as the main power in the world? And even the western alliance that ‘won’ the war, what were they awarded with? Complete devastation & turmoil (especially France & Russia) as well as an economy in ruin and a lack of working aged citizens which was a precursor to the worst economic depression in recorded history. Even the treaty of Versailles, which was taught to me as a being an amazing document of peace amongst major powers, seemed to be extremely vague, was not ‘widely’ agreed upon, and if anything, almost guaranteed a figure would arise in the world that would stand up to these phony rules that were attempted to destroy Germany forever (hint hint H*****).
To summarize: great book, horrific & unnecessary war that caused an extreme amount of pain.
April 17, 2020
Fantastic read. After learning little bits about the Great War (e.g. Rilla of Ingleside) and not understanding what it was all about, I was eager to find out more, and feel like I now have the major flow of events in my mind, provided by a scholar who is an excellent wordsmith. He packs a lot into one book, definitely piquing interest for further reading, but giving the full force of the tragedy of human pride and violence played out in those bloody years.
"Whom the gods would destroy they first drive mad..."
"It is a rare people - or state - who, caught in a bad war, can have either sufficient sense or sufficient control over events to get out of it. Wars are meant to be won, and governments do not readily confess to mistakes, especially after they have killed several million of their citizens in the making of them. As soon as it became apparent to the belligerents that they were not going to achieve victory by late 1914, they began a frantic search for some magic ingredient that would solve their problem. To many of the leaders of France, Britain, Russia, Germany, and Austria, one obvious answer was to widen the war."
"Those who from the security of academic studies, consider denigrating the men of Versailles might reflect that the world's leaders have not managed to do significantly better in their treaty-making in the years since. Even nursery-school children know that it is impossible to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again."
I read this entire book during bathroom breaks.
"Whom the gods would destroy they first drive mad..."
"It is a rare people - or state - who, caught in a bad war, can have either sufficient sense or sufficient control over events to get out of it. Wars are meant to be won, and governments do not readily confess to mistakes, especially after they have killed several million of their citizens in the making of them. As soon as it became apparent to the belligerents that they were not going to achieve victory by late 1914, they began a frantic search for some magic ingredient that would solve their problem. To many of the leaders of France, Britain, Russia, Germany, and Austria, one obvious answer was to widen the war."
"Those who from the security of academic studies, consider denigrating the men of Versailles might reflect that the world's leaders have not managed to do significantly better in their treaty-making in the years since. Even nursery-school children know that it is impossible to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again."
I read this entire book during bathroom breaks.
November 13, 2017
A concise review of the events of world war I. I read a lot of military history but for some reason I have never read much about WWI and felt that I should know more about it. This book was the right cure except now I am more interested in the subject. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have at least a basic knowledge about that war. It is also truly amazing how the people put up with the enormous casualties of both sides for such little gain. Worth reading this book just for that. The author has sections of many areas that I had even less knowledge of than I had in general. Japan's involvement and competition with Australia, the mountain fighting in Italy (although National Geographic did have a horrific article in 2016 about it), the specific demands Germany was going to make against the allies if the allies had surrendered, and the Mediterranean Naval War. Overall, great short history, and well written, enjoyable to read.
May 27, 2020
This book had been sitting on my shelf for seemingly forever and I finally got around to reading it. Stokesbury does a great job with writing a succinct history that’s both very readable and informative. The book also is well diversified in perspective, focusing not on any one country or side exclusively.
Of note, some of the points in his epilogue seem a little dated since the book was written when the USSR was still a thing, and a few points he made about Russian rule in Poland and a Rhenish Republic were either arguable or slightly confusing, but only those few asides detracted at all from the narrative. One other argument he made but did not fully seem to support was that Germany would’ve been better off focusing on the Western front than their post-1914 strategy of essentially knocking Russia out first. I personally feel like that was the right strategy and that they didn’t adhere to it enough.
Ultimately, the above notwithstanding, I found that most of the points Stokesbury made were pretty solid, and most of the book is a pretty straightforward recap of the war. There’s certainly more detailed works out there, but if you’re looking for a really solid book to tell you the basics of what happened in the First World War, I cant think of a much better book to start with except maybe Meyer’s “A World Undone.”
Of note, some of the points in his epilogue seem a little dated since the book was written when the USSR was still a thing, and a few points he made about Russian rule in Poland and a Rhenish Republic were either arguable or slightly confusing, but only those few asides detracted at all from the narrative. One other argument he made but did not fully seem to support was that Germany would’ve been better off focusing on the Western front than their post-1914 strategy of essentially knocking Russia out first. I personally feel like that was the right strategy and that they didn’t adhere to it enough.
Ultimately, the above notwithstanding, I found that most of the points Stokesbury made were pretty solid, and most of the book is a pretty straightforward recap of the war. There’s certainly more detailed works out there, but if you’re looking for a really solid book to tell you the basics of what happened in the First World War, I cant think of a much better book to start with except maybe Meyer’s “A World Undone.”
June 6, 2019
Stokesbury's "Short History of World War I" may seem daunting at first, but in an incredibly pleasurable read. His prolific writing abilities, in conjunction with his immense historical knowledge make the book a truly valuable asset. At 350 pages, it may not seem short; however, it must be considered that this book deals with a broad topic which could easily fill myriad volumes. His editorial commentary livens this topic and captivates the reader, and his sense of humor is riveting. It provides a thorough overview of the war, commensurate with an introductory college course, to which it would be a stellar companion. It comes highly recommended for the amateur historian. The book also has a thorough list of further reading and research materials for the more hardcore historian.
Happy reading!
Happy reading!
September 23, 2017
Always a fan of reading history I realized my World War I knowledge was somewhat limited. Looking for a well established book on this subject I came across this one. While much of the book was focused solely on the particular battles and what went wrong in them there was more than enough background on the politics that led up to the War and eventually formulated the end of the War. While I've always heard the war, like many, was a series of mistakes that eventually stumbled to a conclusion; It was fascinating to see just how many screw-ups and bad decisions had occurred. It was amazing the Allies won the war at all but fortunately there were many screw-ups on both sides. If you are history buff looking for something on World War I, I would definitely recommend it
December 26, 2017
This was a Goodreads recommendation and it hit the mark. I am very well read on WWII and the American Civil War. I even have a good understanding of the Mexican/American war and the Spanish / American war, but had only the basic knowledge of the details of WWI.
This book changed that in a few 100 pages. Stokesbury writes a book that gives enough detail to make you appreciate just how awful trench warfare was, while keeping it readable. He covers all the major theaters, though the Italian theater did seem a bit underrepresented.
If you are interested in WWI and don't know much about it, I recommend this book fully.
This book changed that in a few 100 pages. Stokesbury writes a book that gives enough detail to make you appreciate just how awful trench warfare was, while keeping it readable. He covers all the major theaters, though the Italian theater did seem a bit underrepresented.
If you are interested in WWI and don't know much about it, I recommend this book fully.
January 23, 2024
I was sorely tempted to give this five stars. Given when it was written, and the space the author had to write it in, Stokesbury pulled off a minor miracle. Judicious and acute, the author expresses one sound judgment after another. His weakness is in naval affairs, but in his defense the state of the art in naval history vis-a-vis WWI back then was not the best. As a naval historian I can say that we are still in 2024 fighting over the period 1900-1918 and lack a consensus on certain important issues.
It's sad that Stokesbury is no longer with us to enjoy the praise this book is finally earning. But I feel it is never too late to give a person his or her due. Well done sir, well done.
It's sad that Stokesbury is no longer with us to enjoy the praise this book is finally earning. But I feel it is never too late to give a person his or her due. Well done sir, well done.
December 19, 2017
I have enjoyed reading popular histories since I was a boy in junior high. As an adult, my career precluded much time to indulge in this pleasure, but when I retired, I began to do so again. Sokesbury's book on WWI help to fill a gap in my education regarding the era surrounding that period. The book is an easy read, and sometimes humorous, which helps. The Great War was an incalculably import series of events, resulting in the Second World War, with difficult to understand causes, not one of which seems sufficient to have brought about the results.
February 19, 2021
My thoughts while reading this book: war is stupid.
This book is not stupid, however. I often realize I don't know much about WWI, so I finally decided to read a book about it. Though this is a short history, the author gives plenty of detail of events as well as context. The context is helpful for those of us uneducated about this period of time (WWII usually gets more attention). There is also analysis of motives and outcomes to further demonstrate that war is stupid.
This book is not stupid, however. I often realize I don't know much about WWI, so I finally decided to read a book about it. Though this is a short history, the author gives plenty of detail of events as well as context. The context is helpful for those of us uneducated about this period of time (WWII usually gets more attention). There is also analysis of motives and outcomes to further demonstrate that war is stupid.
November 14, 2019
A big, complex topic, but Stokesbury covers all facets of World War I with a lot of cogent analysis and smart commentary. His explanation of how the great flu epidemic of 1918 affected the War was fascinating too. Highly recommended and important reading to understand especially how the end of WWI was beneficial to the victors, but also set up many of the root causes for WWII.
August 13, 2018
For a concise read, this book successfully covers the various fronts of the war.
September 13, 2018
A good and easy book to read.
If you want to read about World War I in a fast and fact based way, this is the book to read.
If you want to read about World War I in a fast and fact based way, this is the book to read.
November 27, 2018
A little hard to read if you're not familiar with the map, but if you persevere you get a general idea of what happened.
May 23, 2019
Lots of focus on battles, would have liked to see more on social and cultural impacts. Learned a great deal however about the war!
October 24, 2021
Excellent. Detailed info about the causes and the battles waged.
June 6, 2023
Short and historical.
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