What do you think?
Rate this book
The German Wars 1914-1945
Offers a new perspective on the significant details and panorama of the two world wars
561 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
About the author
D.J. Goodspeed
14 books14 followersColonel (Retired) Donald James Goodspeed was a Canadian military officer, historian and academic. At his death he was Professor Emeritus at Brock University (St. Catherines, Ontario). Professor Goodspeed also wrote mystery/detective fiction under the name Dougal McLeish.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 20, 2017
This is the best single volume history of the World Wars I have read. Come to think of it, I can't think of any other single volume which covers both world wars. Though the broad view is certainly helpful for reference and coherence, the "schwerpunkt," or hard punch of this book is clearly placed on the First World War. Though the campaigns and key events of both wars are covered, this is mainly an examination of the diplomatic wranglings leading up to, and throughout the conflicts. Goodspeed eloquently and meticulously reconstructs each step taken by leaders of each country. He does an excellent job of not only building an entertaining narrative, but also challenging the reader to rethink their view of events based on evidence. Each point is argued with shrewd and careful judgment, and yet worded in such a way as to keep the reader enthralled. Though numerous subsequent volumes have been published on the subject of the World Wars, this one is undoubtedly worth digging out of the pile and dusting off. This book will definitely retain a place on my bookshelf.
January 10, 2016
The German Wars: 1914 - 1945.
After three readings, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the author's main argument: that not only was the War Guilt Clause incorrect, but also that the vengeful French, and to a slightly lesser extent, the Slavic-imperialist Russians and the careless British, were really the ones to blame for the unnecessary First World War (and consequently, the Second, which was a necessary mop-up).
What's more, Goodspeed reveals that he's not quite convinced of the point he's trying to make. After issuing several sweeping generalizations about the universal desires and intentions of the people of those countries, as a whole (such as "ears pricked up all over France," and similar statements), on page 156 he back-pedals in a self-exculpatory footnote:
'*Perhaps here it should be pointed out -- what is surely, in any case, evident -- that when the historian speaks of "France," or "Russia," or "Britain," he is employing a sort of shorthand. He does not mean the totality of those nations but is, rather, speaking only of the French or the Russian or the British government, and even, in many cases, only of that sector of the government actually responsible for the policy under discussion.'
That being the case, then why make such statements at all? The certitude with which the writer makes those pronouncements, as well as their volume, come across as a desperate attempt to promote a shaky hypothesis by means of hyperbole.
Then, after noting Kaiser Wilhelm's immature, airheaded and progressively psychotic behavior, the author illogically proceeds to credit the man with intelligent decision-making, and with sincere and lofty good intentions. He takes all of the Kaiser's statements and actions at face value, despite the obvious hallmarks of Willy's manipulative behavior.
Goodspeed makes no secret of his contempt for Italy, by his making snarky remarks about the country and its people. This rudeness is thinly veiled by efforts to sound clever and amusing, but the effect is to impair his credibility as a serious historian.
The author's second premise, that the two major 20th-century wars were really one war with a prolonged cease-fire in the middle, has gained credence in the generation since this book was written. His assessment of Hitler and the Nazi regime is neither better nor worse than any number of other histories of the Second World War. Although colored with typical Cold War-era pessimism and usage, his concluding chapter does foreshadow some current developments in the Near East and Central Asia.
The work is poorly organized, with no descriptive titles to its chapters, and only the vague designation of "Books" listed in the table of contents. Each chapter rambles with minutiae that purport to be exhaustively researched, but most of the quotations are not identified in the end notes, and the ones that are mentioned, are cited in a cumbersome format that eschews note numbers and other accepted forms of reference documentation, further obscuring their origins. One wonders what he's trying to hide, by his making it so hard to follow up on his sources.
The impression this book conveys is that Goodspeed wrote a rehash of known history, and gave it an unusual but ultimately unsustainable spin to get it sold.
Caveat emptor. There are better history books out there.
After three readings, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the author's main argument: that not only was the War Guilt Clause incorrect, but also that the vengeful French, and to a slightly lesser extent, the Slavic-imperialist Russians and the careless British, were really the ones to blame for the unnecessary First World War (and consequently, the Second, which was a necessary mop-up).
What's more, Goodspeed reveals that he's not quite convinced of the point he's trying to make. After issuing several sweeping generalizations about the universal desires and intentions of the people of those countries, as a whole (such as "ears pricked up all over France," and similar statements), on page 156 he back-pedals in a self-exculpatory footnote:
'*Perhaps here it should be pointed out -- what is surely, in any case, evident -- that when the historian speaks of "France," or "Russia," or "Britain," he is employing a sort of shorthand. He does not mean the totality of those nations but is, rather, speaking only of the French or the Russian or the British government, and even, in many cases, only of that sector of the government actually responsible for the policy under discussion.'
That being the case, then why make such statements at all? The certitude with which the writer makes those pronouncements, as well as their volume, come across as a desperate attempt to promote a shaky hypothesis by means of hyperbole.
Then, after noting Kaiser Wilhelm's immature, airheaded and progressively psychotic behavior, the author illogically proceeds to credit the man with intelligent decision-making, and with sincere and lofty good intentions. He takes all of the Kaiser's statements and actions at face value, despite the obvious hallmarks of Willy's manipulative behavior.
Goodspeed makes no secret of his contempt for Italy, by his making snarky remarks about the country and its people. This rudeness is thinly veiled by efforts to sound clever and amusing, but the effect is to impair his credibility as a serious historian.
The author's second premise, that the two major 20th-century wars were really one war with a prolonged cease-fire in the middle, has gained credence in the generation since this book was written. His assessment of Hitler and the Nazi regime is neither better nor worse than any number of other histories of the Second World War. Although colored with typical Cold War-era pessimism and usage, his concluding chapter does foreshadow some current developments in the Near East and Central Asia.
The work is poorly organized, with no descriptive titles to its chapters, and only the vague designation of "Books" listed in the table of contents. Each chapter rambles with minutiae that purport to be exhaustively researched, but most of the quotations are not identified in the end notes, and the ones that are mentioned, are cited in a cumbersome format that eschews note numbers and other accepted forms of reference documentation, further obscuring their origins. One wonders what he's trying to hide, by his making it so hard to follow up on his sources.
The impression this book conveys is that Goodspeed wrote a rehash of known history, and gave it an unusual but ultimately unsustainable spin to get it sold.
Caveat emptor. There are better history books out there.
October 31, 2015
A book that got me started down the road to a genuine obsession with history.
The German Wars is a text from the late 1970s by a historian who, as far as I'm aware, hasn't done much else. I think the idea at the core of the German Wars isn't new by today's standards. Goodspeed wrote of the two World Wars as being one long war with a break in the middle, rather than two isolated occurances. I think the narrative nowadays sticks to that.
What I liked about the German Wars was Goodspeed's obsession and extreme attention to details, minor and major. It felt to me like he was leafing through every single document created in the first decade of the 20th century and the last two of the 19th, trying to see how each one overlapped or intersected with another. The first third of his book, which deals with the build up to WW1, examines the idea of blame and, shockingly enough, focuses on France, painting them as one of the more culpable Great Powers. Now I'm not saying I wholly buy into that theory, but I imagine that at the time, it was probably a pretty new concept, as people still seemed intent on blaming Germany (or the Central Powers at least) on the war.
This is a solid book that I found at my college library and wound up buying for myself a few years later. It might be a bit dated, and there are probably some new documents that can be analzed. Even so, it's a solid and engaging historical work.
The German Wars is a text from the late 1970s by a historian who, as far as I'm aware, hasn't done much else. I think the idea at the core of the German Wars isn't new by today's standards. Goodspeed wrote of the two World Wars as being one long war with a break in the middle, rather than two isolated occurances. I think the narrative nowadays sticks to that.
What I liked about the German Wars was Goodspeed's obsession and extreme attention to details, minor and major. It felt to me like he was leafing through every single document created in the first decade of the 20th century and the last two of the 19th, trying to see how each one overlapped or intersected with another. The first third of his book, which deals with the build up to WW1, examines the idea of blame and, shockingly enough, focuses on France, painting them as one of the more culpable Great Powers. Now I'm not saying I wholly buy into that theory, but I imagine that at the time, it was probably a pretty new concept, as people still seemed intent on blaming Germany (or the Central Powers at least) on the war.
This is a solid book that I found at my college library and wound up buying for myself a few years later. It might be a bit dated, and there are probably some new documents that can be analzed. Even so, it's a solid and engaging historical work.
May 20, 2017
I have been reading The German Wars By Donald James Goodspeed and have recently finished book 4 of his series wrapping up the whole book. I can't speak more highly of the book if i tried. It was jam packed with tons of historical information most people didn't ever learn, and he handled the book in a professional way having an unbiased view the whole time. This is by far one of the greatest world wars related history books ever, and not just for the world wars for early German history too. I would give it ten out of 5 stars if i could. I will definetly be looking for more works by this author.
May 31, 2009
The author's main point is that the two world wars were really one extended conflict separated by a long intermission. This is a notion more in vogue now than when this work was first published.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews