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The Great War in America: World War I and Its Aftermath
A chronicle of the American experience during World War I and the unexpected changes that rocked the country in its immediate aftermath—the Red Scare, race riots, women’s suffrage, and Prohibition.
The Great War’s bitter outcome left the experience largely overlooked and forgotten in American history. This timely book is a reexamination of America’s first global experience as we commemorate WWI's centennial. The U.S. steered clear of the Great War for more than two years, but President Woodrow Wilson reluctantly led the divided country into the conflict with the goal of making the world “safe for democracy.” The country assumed a global role for the first time and attempted to build the foundations for world peace, only to witness the experience go badly awry and it retreated into isolationism.
The Great War was the first continent-wide conflagration in a century, and it drew much of the world into its fire. By the end, four empires and their royal houses had fallen, communism was unleashed, the map of the Middle East was redrawn, and the United States emerged as a global power—only to withdraw from the world’s stage.
The United States was disillusioned with what it achieved in the earlier war and withdrew into itself. Americans have tried to forget about it ever since. The Great War in America presents an opportunity to reexamine the country’s role on the global stage and the tremendous political and social changes that overtook the nation because of the war.
The Great War’s bitter outcome left the experience largely overlooked and forgotten in American history. This timely book is a reexamination of America’s first global experience as we commemorate WWI's centennial. The U.S. steered clear of the Great War for more than two years, but President Woodrow Wilson reluctantly led the divided country into the conflict with the goal of making the world “safe for democracy.” The country assumed a global role for the first time and attempted to build the foundations for world peace, only to witness the experience go badly awry and it retreated into isolationism.
The Great War was the first continent-wide conflagration in a century, and it drew much of the world into its fire. By the end, four empires and their royal houses had fallen, communism was unleashed, the map of the Middle East was redrawn, and the United States emerged as a global power—only to withdraw from the world’s stage.
The United States was disillusioned with what it achieved in the earlier war and withdrew into itself. Americans have tried to forget about it ever since. The Great War in America presents an opportunity to reexamine the country’s role on the global stage and the tremendous political and social changes that overtook the nation because of the war.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published December 4, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 2, 2024
I reached about page 40 and could not go any further with this. It is written like an undergrad would write it- paragraphs don't flow into one another, it seems as if he gathered information and almost copied and pasted it onto the page. Further, some of his conclusions are simply ridiculous. Teddy Roosevelt was not one of those rooting for war, according to Peck and America is a pacifist nation and that explains why they were not gungho on entering the war. I guess he forgot that we had staged a coup in Hawaii and had just fought the Spanish American War. Perhaps mostly, he is so pro Wilson that he seems incapable of writing anything that does not reflect that. He skims over his racism by saying that everyone was like that at the time forgetting that he was a very well educated man and engaged in racist comments with his acquaintances were vulgar.
Not surprisingly, I would not recommend this book.
Not surprisingly, I would not recommend this book.
February 4, 2019
Although this book covered a considerable portion of the same ground of another book I had just read (One Summer: America 1927 by Bryson), I still found it very interesting and full of details with which I was unfamiliar. Peck is a real student of Woodrow Wilson, but clearly exposes both his weaknesses and strengths as a leader. More than ever before, I came to understand how World War I, and more particularly the peace that followed, made World War II almost inevitable. (I became aware of this book by watching the author being interviewed on C-SPAN.)
August 22, 2019
Studying history allows us to learn from past mistakes so that we don’t repeat them in the future, yet sadly, as the old saw goes, we see history repeat (or rhyme with) itself every day. Take isolationism, for instance. Both before and after the Great War, Americans wanted nothing to do with the rest of the world. After many decades of American stature following World War II, Americans are leaning toward isolationism again.
Peck’s book causes the reader to contemplate the Great War within the context of America only. Why did the U.S. stay out for so long? Why didn’t the U.S. have an adequate military force? Why didn’t the U.S. want to join the League of Nations following the war? Why were so many Americans disillusioned once the Armistice had been signed? Why was President Woodrow Wilson beloved by many yet only gained stature for his wisdom long after he had died? Peck explores all these questions and more and to a satisfying end. For him, history isn’t just facts and figures and chronology. It’s about relationships between individuals and relationships between nations, and he discusses these at length.
I have only one beef with the book distributed by W. W. Norton, one of the most respected names in modern publishing. I came across (I was not looking for) at least nine typos: the kind which reflects hurried or no copyediting: words are repeated needlessly or subject/verb agreement is in error because the letter “s” has been left off the verb. In this day and age, following thirty-five years of computerized book printing, with its sophisticated technology, there is no excuse for finding this many errors in a published book for which the public is paying a cover price of just under thirty dollars. Just saying. I photocopied the pages and sent them to the editor.
Peck’s book causes the reader to contemplate the Great War within the context of America only. Why did the U.S. stay out for so long? Why didn’t the U.S. have an adequate military force? Why didn’t the U.S. want to join the League of Nations following the war? Why were so many Americans disillusioned once the Armistice had been signed? Why was President Woodrow Wilson beloved by many yet only gained stature for his wisdom long after he had died? Peck explores all these questions and more and to a satisfying end. For him, history isn’t just facts and figures and chronology. It’s about relationships between individuals and relationships between nations, and he discusses these at length.
I have only one beef with the book distributed by W. W. Norton, one of the most respected names in modern publishing. I came across (I was not looking for) at least nine typos: the kind which reflects hurried or no copyediting: words are repeated needlessly or subject/verb agreement is in error because the letter “s” has been left off the verb. In this day and age, following thirty-five years of computerized book printing, with its sophisticated technology, there is no excuse for finding this many errors in a published book for which the public is paying a cover price of just under thirty dollars. Just saying. I photocopied the pages and sent them to the editor.
July 6, 2019
Primarily a biography of Wilson's second term in office, with events leading up to and coming after. At times, this reads like a series of articles, with some information repeated. When on point, I found this an interesting read.
While battles are mentioned, this is no military history. The first roughly 100 pages lead up to American entry into the war, the next 100 the war itself, and the last 150 the peace treaty process. Surrounding these are events in the US, primarily politics and prohibition. Censorship during the war is covered, followed by the restoration of liberties afterwards. In short, the US was effective during the war, and less so in the aftermath.
The author is a Wilson scholar, but focuses specifically on the war here - no tariffs or trust busting. Segregation is within that spotlight, specifically military, and the contrast with France is striking. A good portion of the post-war discusses the clash between a now well-trained group and their oppressors back home. The early 20s has parallels with the 50s - race riots and the red scare. Multiple discussions of the cabinet, congress, and Wilson's opponents are why I would classify this more biography than history.
Spotted on the libraries "new" shelf, this was more a spontaneous read than a plan. Overall, glad I checked it out. 3 out of 5 stars.
While battles are mentioned, this is no military history. The first roughly 100 pages lead up to American entry into the war, the next 100 the war itself, and the last 150 the peace treaty process. Surrounding these are events in the US, primarily politics and prohibition. Censorship during the war is covered, followed by the restoration of liberties afterwards. In short, the US was effective during the war, and less so in the aftermath.
The author is a Wilson scholar, but focuses specifically on the war here - no tariffs or trust busting. Segregation is within that spotlight, specifically military, and the contrast with France is striking. A good portion of the post-war discusses the clash between a now well-trained group and their oppressors back home. The early 20s has parallels with the 50s - race riots and the red scare. Multiple discussions of the cabinet, congress, and Wilson's opponents are why I would classify this more biography than history.
Spotted on the libraries "new" shelf, this was more a spontaneous read than a plan. Overall, glad I checked it out. 3 out of 5 stars.
January 12, 2019
A solid single volume narrative about the US engagement in WWI. The author is a Wilson historian which helps -- clearly the focus of the era is the President and his attempts at world-changing reform. Probably helps to have a decent perspective on the conflict at large. Paints a vivid picture of the nation at that time.
June 16, 2020
Ugh. Two factual errors in first two paragraphs of Chapter 1: Gavrilo Princip wasn't 18 when he assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand (he was 19), and Nicholas II and Wilhelm II weren't first cousins (they were third cousins). I knew this, and I haven't written a book about WWI.
Plus, Peck writes, "Wilson's accomplishments were considerable and did more good than bad." More ugh.
Check, please!
Plus, Peck writes, "Wilson's accomplishments were considerable and did more good than bad." More ugh.
Check, please!
November 8, 2019
I was provided an ARC of this book and interviewed the author for my Smithsonian work. Great story and remarkable facts through the author's painstaking research. Amazing.
July 15, 2019
This is a good overview of America during WWI. It has too much focus on Woodrow Wilson (which shouldn't be too surprising given that the author serves on the advisory council of the Woodrow Wilson House in DC). There didn't seem to be much original analysis here, but mostly a retelling of the war. It did a decent job at that at least. It does cover a lot of ground, ranging from the road to war, the home front, the battle front, the peace negotiations, and adjusting to the post-war age. The best parts were those on the homefront, but the early phases and the (too long) discussion of the peace negotiations were less notable.
Some things I got from the book: Wilson's initial reaction to the Luisitania was basically to shrug it off. The national reaction forced him to do more. The shift toward preparedness was pitched as a way to keep us out of war, but it angered pacifists. A bomb went off in a Preparedness Day Parade in San Francisco. The US army had just 92,482 on active duty in 1914, but May 1916 saw legislation to double the army to a half-million by 1921 (I guess it grew a lot from 1914-16 then). In July 1916, the UK blacklisted 82 US companies due to German trade. There were some dynamite bombs in NYC & DC - apparent German sabotage. The biggest explosion occurred on July 30, 1916 - blowing up a big munitions depot in Jersey City. The blast was felt in multiple states and damaged the Statue of Liberty's upper arm. Garrett Peck also argues that 1916 was the first modern election with opposition research, targeted advertising, and using the mass media. Then Germany went back to submarine warfare in 1917 and the Zimmerman Telegram made a big impact. The first American vessel sunk without warning was the Algonquin on March 12. Then came five more by April 1. The war vote was 82-6 and 373-50.
The army lacked manpower, firepower, tanks, aircraft and combat doctrine for modern war. Dog tags were new to this war. The US budget was $742 million in 1916 but $14 BILLION by 1918. The debt ceiling was created for the war. The top tax, initially just 7% went up to 65% in 1917 and then to 77% in 1918. Daylight savings began as fuel conservation. Unions gained strength as Wilson was pro-labor. Racial violence broke out in East St. Louis and against soldiers in Houston. Wilson was given power over food supplies, and appointed Hoover over the Food Administration. The Shipping Board was created to help make sure that worked. German sailors (here for trade when all hell broke less) were put in internment camps. An Executive Order dealt with German aliens here. Travel was forbidden without approval for them and they were not allowed in key areas of the nation, like DC. The values of democracy were undermined.
The AEF had just 14,000 troops and were poorly trained. Germany had laid some mines even by the US. Pershing comes off poorly. He believed in the importance of the rifle and individual soldiers moving on open fields. He ignored Allied officers who knew better. His generalling led to needless US deaths. There were 367,000 black soldiers, of whom 200,000 went to France, but just 50,000 saw action. It was illegal to give booze to a soldier in uniform. There were heavy US losses at the Battle of Soissons. At the 2nd Battle of the Marne, the US suffered 50,000 casualties out of 300,000 fighting. Influenza began in Kansas in January 1918 and left 21 million dead. The big allied offensive of 1918 began on Sept. 26. The Meuse-Argonne was the largest US offensive in history (not clear if he means up until then or even if you include WWII).
Wilson didn't want any GOP'rs going to Versailles, so they didn't. Wilson left for six months (he came back briefly midway through) and thus lost much ability to shape public opinion. William Howard Taft supported the League of Nations idea, but Wilson did a bad job pitching his idea, being too condescending to those who disagreed with him. Then he had a stroke, and was basically a lame duck for the last year and a half of his presidency.
1919 saw race riots. Wilson didn't get involved in that as he focused on Versailles. He also sat out the prohibition debate (which splits his party's northern/southern wings) as it was divisive - and that's especially bad since it heated up during the war). There was the Red Scare and bombs and anarchists upset at the deportation of Luigi Galleani. Wilson came out in favor of women's suffrage, largely due to the war. 5,000 Germans were interned in camps, which isn't as big as the 120,000 Japanese-Americans there in WWII, but still a black eye.
The book is often more critical of Wilson than I'd guess given Peck's place on the Wilson House advisory board, but it still doesn't have much clear opinion on matters, mostly just sticking to narrative.
Some things I got from the book: Wilson's initial reaction to the Luisitania was basically to shrug it off. The national reaction forced him to do more. The shift toward preparedness was pitched as a way to keep us out of war, but it angered pacifists. A bomb went off in a Preparedness Day Parade in San Francisco. The US army had just 92,482 on active duty in 1914, but May 1916 saw legislation to double the army to a half-million by 1921 (I guess it grew a lot from 1914-16 then). In July 1916, the UK blacklisted 82 US companies due to German trade. There were some dynamite bombs in NYC & DC - apparent German sabotage. The biggest explosion occurred on July 30, 1916 - blowing up a big munitions depot in Jersey City. The blast was felt in multiple states and damaged the Statue of Liberty's upper arm. Garrett Peck also argues that 1916 was the first modern election with opposition research, targeted advertising, and using the mass media. Then Germany went back to submarine warfare in 1917 and the Zimmerman Telegram made a big impact. The first American vessel sunk without warning was the Algonquin on March 12. Then came five more by April 1. The war vote was 82-6 and 373-50.
The army lacked manpower, firepower, tanks, aircraft and combat doctrine for modern war. Dog tags were new to this war. The US budget was $742 million in 1916 but $14 BILLION by 1918. The debt ceiling was created for the war. The top tax, initially just 7% went up to 65% in 1917 and then to 77% in 1918. Daylight savings began as fuel conservation. Unions gained strength as Wilson was pro-labor. Racial violence broke out in East St. Louis and against soldiers in Houston. Wilson was given power over food supplies, and appointed Hoover over the Food Administration. The Shipping Board was created to help make sure that worked. German sailors (here for trade when all hell broke less) were put in internment camps. An Executive Order dealt with German aliens here. Travel was forbidden without approval for them and they were not allowed in key areas of the nation, like DC. The values of democracy were undermined.
The AEF had just 14,000 troops and were poorly trained. Germany had laid some mines even by the US. Pershing comes off poorly. He believed in the importance of the rifle and individual soldiers moving on open fields. He ignored Allied officers who knew better. His generalling led to needless US deaths. There were 367,000 black soldiers, of whom 200,000 went to France, but just 50,000 saw action. It was illegal to give booze to a soldier in uniform. There were heavy US losses at the Battle of Soissons. At the 2nd Battle of the Marne, the US suffered 50,000 casualties out of 300,000 fighting. Influenza began in Kansas in January 1918 and left 21 million dead. The big allied offensive of 1918 began on Sept. 26. The Meuse-Argonne was the largest US offensive in history (not clear if he means up until then or even if you include WWII).
Wilson didn't want any GOP'rs going to Versailles, so they didn't. Wilson left for six months (he came back briefly midway through) and thus lost much ability to shape public opinion. William Howard Taft supported the League of Nations idea, but Wilson did a bad job pitching his idea, being too condescending to those who disagreed with him. Then he had a stroke, and was basically a lame duck for the last year and a half of his presidency.
1919 saw race riots. Wilson didn't get involved in that as he focused on Versailles. He also sat out the prohibition debate (which splits his party's northern/southern wings) as it was divisive - and that's especially bad since it heated up during the war). There was the Red Scare and bombs and anarchists upset at the deportation of Luigi Galleani. Wilson came out in favor of women's suffrage, largely due to the war. 5,000 Germans were interned in camps, which isn't as big as the 120,000 Japanese-Americans there in WWII, but still a black eye.
The book is often more critical of Wilson than I'd guess given Peck's place on the Wilson House advisory board, but it still doesn't have much clear opinion on matters, mostly just sticking to narrative.
December 15, 2020
(Audiobook) This is one of many books that came out in line with the centennial anniversary of the American involvement in World War I. At the center of Peck's analysis is Woodrow Wilson, who he generally paints in a mostly positive light, at least until his struggles to try to get the US to ratify the Versailles Treaty. That is not an opinion that goes very far in this climate and Peck does acknowledge that (Wilson's blatant racism is lowering his status in the presidential rankings). Wilson did have a lot of challenges, trying to keep the US neutral during the war, but then getting pushed in by various forces. However, Wilson's self-reliance/confidence was his undoing, and had significant ramifications for the US and the world in the immediate aftermath.
Outside of that, Peck recounts the US pre-war, during the war, and what it faced in the immediate aftermath. There was a lot that the US could take pride in, how it mobilized quickly and adapted to face warfare in Europe. However, the suppression of individual rights, the blatant propaganda, racism and xenophobia does not keep the US in the positive light. World War I was a mixed bag for America, and Peck highlights that.
Of note, reading this in 2020, I was curious to see what he had to say about the impact of influenza and the pandemic on the war effort. He mentions it, but does not elaborate beyond the standard reading. Would such books be different if published in the next couple of years, looking back through the prism of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, a decent work, but there wasn't a lot of new information. If this was the first work you read about this timeframe, taking into account modern scholarship, it might rate higher. Additionally, it probably undersells the impact of influenza on the war effort. If he does a follow-up, it would be interesting to see if Peck accounts for that.
Outside of that, Peck recounts the US pre-war, during the war, and what it faced in the immediate aftermath. There was a lot that the US could take pride in, how it mobilized quickly and adapted to face warfare in Europe. However, the suppression of individual rights, the blatant propaganda, racism and xenophobia does not keep the US in the positive light. World War I was a mixed bag for America, and Peck highlights that.
Of note, reading this in 2020, I was curious to see what he had to say about the impact of influenza and the pandemic on the war effort. He mentions it, but does not elaborate beyond the standard reading. Would such books be different if published in the next couple of years, looking back through the prism of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, a decent work, but there wasn't a lot of new information. If this was the first work you read about this timeframe, taking into account modern scholarship, it might rate higher. Additionally, it probably undersells the impact of influenza on the war effort. If he does a follow-up, it would be interesting to see if Peck accounts for that.
May 4, 2019
This book delivers what the title promises, covering 1914-1919. There are 328 pages of main text, not counting an 11-page epilogue solely about Woodrow Wilson's life after leaving office. It's about 25% before the USA declared war, 40% the USA's involvement during the war, and 35% peace process and war-influenced homefront issues (Women's Suffrage, Prohibition, Red Scare, etc).
This is definitely not a military history. Battlefield events are a really only covered as much as needed. There's a substantial political aspect, centered on Woodrow Wilson, and larger socio-political issues like censorship, treatment of German-Americans, and the aforementioned homefront issues.
The author is a Woodrow Wilson scholar and Wilson's stock is falling in modern times. However, Woodrow gets a pretty evenhanded treatment. Garrett Peck seems to think better of Wilson than many of his contemporaries might, but he doesn't hesitate to acknowledge Wilson's mistakes. The the book is often Wilson-centric and mostly this feels justified, but there are times it feels excessive. The epilogue feels tacked on and too many pages seem spent on Wilson's personal involvement with the peace process.
The writing is mostly decent, although the author seems excessively fond of side comments and sometimes repeats himself. Overall, while the content is fairly good, something felt lacking. Perhaps it's bitten off a bit more history than it can effectively chew through in its page count. Or maybe I've just read enough about WWI in my lifetime that I'm a bit outside the target reader demographic.
Moderate recommendation, particularly those looking for an introduction to the United States' involvement in World War I.
This is definitely not a military history. Battlefield events are a really only covered as much as needed. There's a substantial political aspect, centered on Woodrow Wilson, and larger socio-political issues like censorship, treatment of German-Americans, and the aforementioned homefront issues.
The author is a Woodrow Wilson scholar and Wilson's stock is falling in modern times. However, Woodrow gets a pretty evenhanded treatment. Garrett Peck seems to think better of Wilson than many of his contemporaries might, but he doesn't hesitate to acknowledge Wilson's mistakes. The the book is often Wilson-centric and mostly this feels justified, but there are times it feels excessive. The epilogue feels tacked on and too many pages seem spent on Wilson's personal involvement with the peace process.
The writing is mostly decent, although the author seems excessively fond of side comments and sometimes repeats himself. Overall, while the content is fairly good, something felt lacking. Perhaps it's bitten off a bit more history than it can effectively chew through in its page count. Or maybe I've just read enough about WWI in my lifetime that I'm a bit outside the target reader demographic.
Moderate recommendation, particularly those looking for an introduction to the United States' involvement in World War I.
April 29, 2019
I would have rated this higher if it weren’t for the Woodrow Wilson apologia, particularly with regard to his racism. A statement urging the reader to look at other things than his racism when looking at his legacy was in the introduction, and I nearly closed the book there. I think a statement like that is awfully tone deaf when coming from someone who would have enjoyed the full freedoms afforded to citizens of this country at that time, including the right to vote and the full justice under the law. Women may see themselves more in the women who stood outside the White House with banners, and know their President thought their right to participate as full citizens of the country was unimportant. A black person may sympathize with how it must have felt to know that Birth of A Nation was played at your White House. So yes, he was a product of his time, but so were all of the people fighting against these injustices - Wilson had to pick a side and he chose the side that did not want to extend full humanity to all citizens of the country. I think the fact that Wilson positioned himself as the Great hope for democratic societies living peacefully throughout the world, and yet was completely dismissive of the civil rights and democratic freedoms denied to his own citizens is utterly hypocritical and worth exploring fully. That said, I did learn a lot from the book; I just think it would have been better served by truly examining the consequences of Wilson’s racism.
April 24, 2022
The book is more of a Woodrow Wilson biography of the time period, than the Great War or America itself.
However, the parallels to today are interesting though.
Massive government spending, inflation, instituting more taxes, propaganda departments created to promote the war, silencing of anti-war voices, arrests under false pretenses or interment to silence groups, stoking of racial tensions, loyalty pledges of anyone not seen as totally American, politicians that wouldn't fall in line kicked out of their elected positions, among other similarities that we see today.
However, the parallels to today are interesting though.
Massive government spending, inflation, instituting more taxes, propaganda departments created to promote the war, silencing of anti-war voices, arrests under false pretenses or interment to silence groups, stoking of racial tensions, loyalty pledges of anyone not seen as totally American, politicians that wouldn't fall in line kicked out of their elected positions, among other similarities that we see today.
June 8, 2022
A good book, providing a history of American politics and society during WWI and its immediate aftermath. The author, American historian Garrett Peck, gives a chronological history of America’s involvement in The Great War. The book is primarily a political history, having President Woodrow Wilson at center stage for much of the work. But the many social and economic trends of early 20th century America also make an appearance, with their affect on political decision making carefully explained. Peck shows the complexity of the long and convoluted process that turned America from steadfast neutral to divergent “associate” (America’s official term for its alliance with Britain and France). The sudden change to armed participant, the massive increase in the U.S. military, the waves of patriotism, and the opposition this all caused are documented in full. The book concludes explaining Wilson’s poorly executed attempt to pull America from its neutral past via the failed ratification of the Versailles Treaty. A great book for understanding the complex web of factions and movements of the period. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to better understand the dynamics between America and international affairs.
September 26, 2020
Good book, well written, well researched. Probably mis-titled since the vast majority is devoted to President Wilson's involvement with various phases of U.S. involvement in the conflict. The author works with the Woodrow Wilson House, so that makes sense. My one bugaboo with the book is the introduction. He states that Wilson was a great president. He realizes that many today dismiss him, on many grounds. He says Wilson's stance on race is questionable. No, it isn't. Federal offices were segregated during his presidency and thousands of African-American administrators were fired. Facts are facts. He states this is something we have to address honestly. Easy for him to say, he's a white guy. He says without Wilson there would be no New Deal. I don't think his crystal ball is powerful enough to change a piece of history, then fast forward 12 years and predict what would have happened. Nothing about the student protest at Princeton in 2015-2015 attempting to have Wilson's name expunged from the university. The surprising thing is, the book treats Wilson very objectively, on the whole. So, read the book, skip the introduction.
August 29, 2023
4.5 stars
An excellent introduction to World War 1 through an American lens. As the title suggests, the focus is on how the war was seen, avoided, debated, and finally fought by Americans. If you want to explore some of the underlying causes of the conflict in European history or details from the French, British, Russian, or German perspective, this isn't the book for you. A few important topics that I thought were not given enough attention were the sinking of the Lusitania, the significance of the Zimmerman telegram (especially given that the book was about the U.S. and WW1), and the major impact of the Spanish flu on all aspects of the war once it began to spread. All three of these were mentioned, of course, but the importance of each was not examined in much detail.
Joe Barrett's narration is excellent. I feel like I've listened to another book he narrated, but I don't recall what it might have been.
An excellent introduction to World War 1 through an American lens. As the title suggests, the focus is on how the war was seen, avoided, debated, and finally fought by Americans. If you want to explore some of the underlying causes of the conflict in European history or details from the French, British, Russian, or German perspective, this isn't the book for you. A few important topics that I thought were not given enough attention were the sinking of the Lusitania, the significance of the Zimmerman telegram (especially given that the book was about the U.S. and WW1), and the major impact of the Spanish flu on all aspects of the war once it began to spread. All three of these were mentioned, of course, but the importance of each was not examined in much detail.
Joe Barrett's narration is excellent. I feel like I've listened to another book he narrated, but I don't recall what it might have been.
October 4, 2023
Wonderfully written, sometimes as if fictional and tempting a cliffhangery warning, like addressing the coming of WWII that wasn’t yet known in the 20’s. Very informational and a ton of quoted research when into these pages. The pace and the varying of the impact of the war pre, during and post was well done and I was very interested in things like the Congressional support or lack there of with Wilson’s Presidency, of which I thought would be less interesting, especially post-war reading. Would definitely recommend for a strong history on the Great War with a decent American historical bias.
May 4, 2019
Garrett Peck covers the leadup to war, the war itself, and the aftermath entirely from the perspective of the Unites States. That separates this book from many others that were published during the centennial commemoration in the last few years. He had a tendency to repeat himself often enough to be distracting, and occasionally wandered down a side path with a bit of trivia that, while sometimes interesting, could also be a bit distracting from the main points. Still, it is a solid summary of the United States' involvement and the effects on the nation.
November 19, 2019
This is a good introduction to the Great War in America. He is laudatory of the rapid economic, industrial, and military industrialization. He is critical of General John Pershing's open ground tactics. He is more so of President Woodrow Wilson's diplomacy in Paris. Peck even hints that Wilson would have been better if his 1919 stroke had killed him. His inability to compromise on the League of Nations killed his noble dream.
February 23, 2025
Not really a whole lot new here for anyone familiar with the US involvement in WW1. Decently written for the most part but bogs down considerably post-war with discussion of Versailles Treaty and American history in the wars aftermath.
November 21, 2025
This book was all over the place. I would suggest that the author employ the use of segues more often. The title was misleading. Most of the book was set in Europe and the main character was Woodrow Wilson. But I did learn some interesting trivia.
October 9, 2020
Not the most riveting book about war and politics and all that entails, but still super helpful in getting a broad look at what the Great War meant for America.
September 29, 2024
I like this book more than I thought I would. It gave a really great overview of the US before during and after WWI focussing on Wilson.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews