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Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day, 1918
s/t: World War I and Its Violent Climax
"November 11, 1918. The final hours pulsate with tension as every man in the trenches hopes to escape the melancholy distinction of being the last to die in World War I." "The Allied generals knew the fighting would end precisely at 11:00 A.M., yet in the final hours they flung men against an already beaten Germany. The result? Eleven thousand casualties suffered - more than during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Why? Allied commanders wanted to punish the enemy to the very last moment, and career officers saw a fast-fading chance for glory and promotion." "Joseph E. Persico puts the reader in the trenches with the forgotten and the famous - among the latter, Corporal Adolf Hitler, Captain Harry Truman, and Colonels Douglas MacArthur and George Patton. Mainly, though, he follows ordinary soldiers' lives, illuminating their fate as the end approaches." Persico sets the last day of the war in historic context with a reprise of all that led up to it, from the 1914 assassination of the Austrian archduke, Franz Ferdinand, which ignited the war, to the raw racism black doughboys endured except when ordered to advance and die in the war's final hour.
"November 11, 1918. The final hours pulsate with tension as every man in the trenches hopes to escape the melancholy distinction of being the last to die in World War I." "The Allied generals knew the fighting would end precisely at 11:00 A.M., yet in the final hours they flung men against an already beaten Germany. The result? Eleven thousand casualties suffered - more than during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Why? Allied commanders wanted to punish the enemy to the very last moment, and career officers saw a fast-fading chance for glory and promotion." "Joseph E. Persico puts the reader in the trenches with the forgotten and the famous - among the latter, Corporal Adolf Hitler, Captain Harry Truman, and Colonels Douglas MacArthur and George Patton. Mainly, though, he follows ordinary soldiers' lives, illuminating their fate as the end approaches." Persico sets the last day of the war in historic context with a reprise of all that led up to it, from the 1914 assassination of the Austrian archduke, Franz Ferdinand, which ignited the war, to the raw racism black doughboys endured except when ordered to advance and die in the war's final hour.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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831 people want to read
About the author
Joseph E. Persico
36 books37 followersJoseph E. Persico was the author of Roosevelt’s Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage; Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day, 1918–World War I and Its Violent Climax; Piercing the Reich; and Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial, which was made into a television docudrama. He also collaborated with Colin Powell on his autobiography, My American Journey. He lives in Guilderland, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
September 28, 2018
The mark of a great book is when the contents of it bother you so much you toss and turn at night and you call your friends and family members and share the gripping details of the book. The Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour is such a book.
They say that it would take something like a week and a half for the war dead on the Western Front to parade past you if marching four abreast. For every one British soldier killed in WWII, three were killed in WWI. It was mass slaughter on a scale that no one had ever seen before, so great that this was coined the war to end all wars. But as the author said, only those killed in the war have seen the last war.
Why was it necessary for the Allies to plan a last minute offensive on the morning of the last day of the war when both sides knew that an Armistice was to go into effect at 11 AM? So that some General officer sitting in a map room could run the British Cavalry triumphantly down the streets of Mons on the last morning of the war? I was sickened by the fact that Canadian soldiers found veterans of first Mons among the dead on that last needless charge. At least several AEF Divisional commanders thought that this was ludicrous and found ways to protect their men the last morning. Still, more men were killed on the last morning of WWI than were killed on D-Day of WWII!
Eight years after the war's end, BEF Field Marshal Douglas Haig wrote a book or article about horse cavalry being the deciding factor in the next war. I think this says all that you need to know about Field Marshal Haig.
What happened on the last morning of WWI was criminal
They say that it would take something like a week and a half for the war dead on the Western Front to parade past you if marching four abreast. For every one British soldier killed in WWII, three were killed in WWI. It was mass slaughter on a scale that no one had ever seen before, so great that this was coined the war to end all wars. But as the author said, only those killed in the war have seen the last war.
Why was it necessary for the Allies to plan a last minute offensive on the morning of the last day of the war when both sides knew that an Armistice was to go into effect at 11 AM? So that some General officer sitting in a map room could run the British Cavalry triumphantly down the streets of Mons on the last morning of the war? I was sickened by the fact that Canadian soldiers found veterans of first Mons among the dead on that last needless charge. At least several AEF Divisional commanders thought that this was ludicrous and found ways to protect their men the last morning. Still, more men were killed on the last morning of WWI than were killed on D-Day of WWII!
Eight years after the war's end, BEF Field Marshal Douglas Haig wrote a book or article about horse cavalry being the deciding factor in the next war. I think this says all that you need to know about Field Marshal Haig.
What happened on the last morning of WWI was criminal
November 7, 2018
About 10 years ago I watched a TV documentary called “The Last Day of World War One”, presented by Michael Palin. I was absolutely stunned by the extent of fighting that went on during the morning of 11 November 1918, and by the officers who ordered attacks even when they knew the Armistice had been signed. Joseph Persico had been one of the historians who featured in the documentary, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to read this.
The book wasn’t entirely what I had expected. I had thought it would concentrate on the last few days of the War, but much of the book is taken up with a basic history of the conflict, starting all the way back at the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. I would say that as a history of WWI it’s very basic. From 1918 onwards the book becomes a history of the AEF rather than a history of the war as a whole. Actually for me this section was quite informative as I hadn’t previously read much about the AEF in 1918. The author tries to tell the story from the perspective of the ordinary soldier, though at the same time he is partial to focusing on participants who became famous in later years, such as Adolf Hitler, Harry Truman and Douglas MacArthur.
The book is at its best when it concentrates on the violent and tragic last day. The author creates the impression that on the Allied side it was the Americans who did most (though not all) of the fighting on 11 November. The TV documentary I mention above suggested the same thing. This may have derived from the fact that Gen. Pershing had been strongly against the idea of accepting the German request for an Armistice, arguing that the German Army should have been forced to surrender. Pershing believed that allowing the German Army to march home in good order would allow Germany to claim it had not really been defeated, and the author quotes Pershing as saying “What I dread is that Germany doesn’t know she was licked. Had they given us another week, we’d have taught them.” Frustrated in his aim, Pershing thought the AEF should press home attacks on 11th November, to give Germany a message about the power of the U.S. Army.
Subsequent events provide strong evidence that Pershing was right about the effect of the Armistice, but it’s hard to see how he thought a few hours of fighting on 11th November would stay in the German memory longer than the 4 years of slaughter that had gone beforehand. A lot of American lives were lost as a result of the decision to launch futile attacks after the Armistice had been signed, and one subordinate commander, Gen. William M. Wright, launched an assault on the town of Stenay with a justification that bordered on lunacy. The British High Command also ordered an attack on the Belgian town of Mons for the purely symbolic reason that it was where the BEF had first encountered the German Army in 1914.
The point has been made of course, that deaths which occurred on 11 November 1918 were no more or less tragic than any other deaths during the war, but there does seem to be something particularly poignant about those killed in the last few minutes, sent against an enemy who had already acknowledged defeat.
The book wasn’t entirely what I had expected. I had thought it would concentrate on the last few days of the War, but much of the book is taken up with a basic history of the conflict, starting all the way back at the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. I would say that as a history of WWI it’s very basic. From 1918 onwards the book becomes a history of the AEF rather than a history of the war as a whole. Actually for me this section was quite informative as I hadn’t previously read much about the AEF in 1918. The author tries to tell the story from the perspective of the ordinary soldier, though at the same time he is partial to focusing on participants who became famous in later years, such as Adolf Hitler, Harry Truman and Douglas MacArthur.
The book is at its best when it concentrates on the violent and tragic last day. The author creates the impression that on the Allied side it was the Americans who did most (though not all) of the fighting on 11 November. The TV documentary I mention above suggested the same thing. This may have derived from the fact that Gen. Pershing had been strongly against the idea of accepting the German request for an Armistice, arguing that the German Army should have been forced to surrender. Pershing believed that allowing the German Army to march home in good order would allow Germany to claim it had not really been defeated, and the author quotes Pershing as saying “What I dread is that Germany doesn’t know she was licked. Had they given us another week, we’d have taught them.” Frustrated in his aim, Pershing thought the AEF should press home attacks on 11th November, to give Germany a message about the power of the U.S. Army.
Subsequent events provide strong evidence that Pershing was right about the effect of the Armistice, but it’s hard to see how he thought a few hours of fighting on 11th November would stay in the German memory longer than the 4 years of slaughter that had gone beforehand. A lot of American lives were lost as a result of the decision to launch futile attacks after the Armistice had been signed, and one subordinate commander, Gen. William M. Wright, launched an assault on the town of Stenay with a justification that bordered on lunacy. The British High Command also ordered an attack on the Belgian town of Mons for the purely symbolic reason that it was where the BEF had first encountered the German Army in 1914.
The point has been made of course, that deaths which occurred on 11 November 1918 were no more or less tragic than any other deaths during the war, but there does seem to be something particularly poignant about those killed in the last few minutes, sent against an enemy who had already acknowledged defeat.
November 30, 2018
This is a sobering book and not an easy one to digest. An observation in the book states that despite 4+ years of war, the participants still couldn’t figure out how to stop the movement to battle. Here we follow French, British, American, and German troops as they fight and die minutes before the cease-fire at 11:00 AM, 11/11/1918 (and some even after the official end). Seldom will you find a more blatant example of the madness and waste of war. The book jumps between the last day of the war and various times earlier in the conflict, all the way back to the start. To fully appreciate it, you should have a basic familiarity with the major phases and battles from beginning to end.
The craziness of attacking German machine gun positions at 10:40 AM is contrasted with earlier battles. Here is a raw view of the battles around Verdun:
The Brits had severe losses in many battles but the generals thought it would be good to get back to the where they started the war: To the British high command the appropriate place to end the war was obvious. The war had begun for Britain with its retreat from Mons. What better way to mark victory than by retaking the city… What is the problem with a few losses regaining Mons when you had generals who thought like this?
The soldiers’ bitterest scorn was reserved not for the enemy but for generals and home-front politicians. “A politician is a man who gives your life for his country,” one popular gibe ran.
Soldier’s black humor:
More humor in the trenches:
Another keen observation from the trench: As the front rocked back and forth over scraps of earth, one Tommy figured the amount of time taken to gain ground at the Somme and concluded that at that pace the Rhine would be reached in 180 years.
Chemical warfare is terrifying:
Pershing and others (Capt Truman) felt the war was ending too soon and the Germans would not accept they had been defeated unless they were severely beaten. Others felt it important to continue the fighting and maintain pressure right up to the last minute. Some brave and thoughtful officers kept their men in the treches rather than attack on that last morning. And then you read about futile and meaningless losses like this:
I read this over the 100th anniversary of the end of the war, 5 Stars.
The craziness of attacking German machine gun positions at 10:40 AM is contrasted with earlier battles. Here is a raw view of the battles around Verdun:
The Brits had severe losses in many battles but the generals thought it would be good to get back to the where they started the war: To the British high command the appropriate place to end the war was obvious. The war had begun for Britain with its retreat from Mons. What better way to mark victory than by retaking the city… What is the problem with a few losses regaining Mons when you had generals who thought like this?
The soldiers’ bitterest scorn was reserved not for the enemy but for generals and home-front politicians. “A politician is a man who gives your life for his country,” one popular gibe ran.
Soldier’s black humor:
More humor in the trenches:
Another keen observation from the trench: As the front rocked back and forth over scraps of earth, one Tommy figured the amount of time taken to gain ground at the Somme and concluded that at that pace the Rhine would be reached in 180 years.
Chemical warfare is terrifying:
Pershing and others (Capt Truman) felt the war was ending too soon and the Germans would not accept they had been defeated unless they were severely beaten. Others felt it important to continue the fighting and maintain pressure right up to the last minute. Some brave and thoughtful officers kept their men in the treches rather than attack on that last morning. And then you read about futile and meaningless losses like this:
I read this over the 100th anniversary of the end of the war, 5 Stars.
November 20, 2016
From the author's introduction:
"My purpose here is not to offer still another history of the war, though I follow its progression from 1914 to 1918. I am also impatient with presentations of mankind's most violent behavior as if it were a map exercise, with Jones rolling up Smith's flank while the 104th supports a strategic withdrawal by the 105th. And while the role of field marshals and generals is necessarily portrayed, the true protagonists of this story are the men in the trenches for whom what in the map rooms looked like a chess match became transmuted into titanic violations of flesh and blood. The reason I have written an account anchored to the last day of World War I is that the carnage that went on up to the final minute so perfectly captures the essential futility of the entire war. The mayhem of the last day was no different from what had been going on for the previous 1,560 days."
Much of Persico's information comes from diaries, letters, and journals of soldiers, giving his book a more personal feel than your run of the mill war history. It can be very difficult reading. Prepare to feel more than once as if you have been punched in the gut or dropped from a cliff. You will finally understand why certain names still ring with the sound of shellfire and weeping: Somme, Verdun, Passchendaele. You will cry more than once....I did.
If you have never read about World War I and you decide to read just one book on this topic during your entire lifetime, you must make this that one book. It is that stunning, and tells much more about The War To End All Wars than anything else ever could.
"My purpose here is not to offer still another history of the war, though I follow its progression from 1914 to 1918. I am also impatient with presentations of mankind's most violent behavior as if it were a map exercise, with Jones rolling up Smith's flank while the 104th supports a strategic withdrawal by the 105th. And while the role of field marshals and generals is necessarily portrayed, the true protagonists of this story are the men in the trenches for whom what in the map rooms looked like a chess match became transmuted into titanic violations of flesh and blood. The reason I have written an account anchored to the last day of World War I is that the carnage that went on up to the final minute so perfectly captures the essential futility of the entire war. The mayhem of the last day was no different from what had been going on for the previous 1,560 days."
Much of Persico's information comes from diaries, letters, and journals of soldiers, giving his book a more personal feel than your run of the mill war history. It can be very difficult reading. Prepare to feel more than once as if you have been punched in the gut or dropped from a cliff. You will finally understand why certain names still ring with the sound of shellfire and weeping: Somme, Verdun, Passchendaele. You will cry more than once....I did.
If you have never read about World War I and you decide to read just one book on this topic during your entire lifetime, you must make this that one book. It is that stunning, and tells much more about The War To End All Wars than anything else ever could.
December 2, 2024
One of the best WWI books I have read in some time. Mr Persico mines the wealth of the vast quantities of WWI literature, everything from textbooks to personal diaries, in order to give an account of the conflict with particular attention to the actions of the belligerents in the last hours of hostilities. It’s stunning how many officers, with only a couple of hours to endgame, chose to press on with attacks rather than shelter in place with a round of grog for all combatants. Ambitious officers led thousands of men to pointless slaughter.
I liked that Persico included excerpts from personal diaries and anecdotal details from the man in the trench. There are sufficient photos to give you an idea of what the principals looked like, but one of the treasures for me was the pages-long Bibliography. I’m sure to have my work cut out for me sourcing some of those titles.
Give this one a try, holds the attention from start to finish.
I liked that Persico included excerpts from personal diaries and anecdotal details from the man in the trench. There are sufficient photos to give you an idea of what the principals looked like, but one of the treasures for me was the pages-long Bibliography. I’m sure to have my work cut out for me sourcing some of those titles.
Give this one a try, holds the attention from start to finish.
November 10, 2021
No.
One has to applaud Persico for writing an accessible look at the Great War's final day for the general reader: the main events from Sarajevo over Verdun & the Somme to the American entrance are kaleidoscoped via participants' memories of the war they have lived through from start to finish - or not.
Yet with roughly 50% or less of the pages actually dated 11.11.1918, culled from memoirs which by their wholeselves would make for more interesting reading, this is not what I was looking for.
One has to applaud Persico for writing an accessible look at the Great War's final day for the general reader: the main events from Sarajevo over Verdun & the Somme to the American entrance are kaleidoscoped via participants' memories of the war they have lived through from start to finish - or not.
Yet with roughly 50% or less of the pages actually dated 11.11.1918, culled from memoirs which by their wholeselves would make for more interesting reading, this is not what I was looking for.
October 21, 2012
11th Month, 11th Day, 11th Hour by Joseph Persico is an interesting and captivating book covering not only the final moments of the Great War but also offering a general history of the war from its beginning in 1914. The author follows a number of characters, great and small, throughout the narrative. We follow the paths and final fate of a number of soldiers from America, Britain, France, and Germany. We also get glimpses of those who control their destiny, Foch, Haig, Hindenburg and Pershing.
The story is well told and you'll find yourself following the lives of these men and women intensely, mostly with the knowledge of what is to come but still drawn into the final agonising moments before the end. The book can jump about a little, from 1914 to 1918, as mentioned by previous reviewers, however I did not find that this detracted from the story and felt it worked well enough.
The book has received a few negative reviews in my country (Australia), mainly for the fact that the author tends to miss the other allies (Australia & New Zealand) who were fighting along side the Americans. The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) served from 1915 to 1918 on the Western Front and as a whole suffered a casualty rate of 65%, the highest of any Allied army in WW1. However I can see that this book has been written mainly for an American audience and I think it has done well.
The author's intent, to show the terribly tragedy of that final day, the waste of soldiers lives by Generals in an attempt to comply with criminal inept and stupid orders from higher up comes through strongly. Regardless of which nation those soldiers served, it's a well-told story and one that needed to be told.
I have read a quite a number of books on the Great War but this is one of the first to bring home the futility of some of the actions carried out by supposedly intelligent leaders & commanders. I hope that we never forget the sacrifice made by all the combatants, willing or not, in this most terrible War.
The story is well told and you'll find yourself following the lives of these men and women intensely, mostly with the knowledge of what is to come but still drawn into the final agonising moments before the end. The book can jump about a little, from 1914 to 1918, as mentioned by previous reviewers, however I did not find that this detracted from the story and felt it worked well enough.
The book has received a few negative reviews in my country (Australia), mainly for the fact that the author tends to miss the other allies (Australia & New Zealand) who were fighting along side the Americans. The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) served from 1915 to 1918 on the Western Front and as a whole suffered a casualty rate of 65%, the highest of any Allied army in WW1. However I can see that this book has been written mainly for an American audience and I think it has done well.
The author's intent, to show the terribly tragedy of that final day, the waste of soldiers lives by Generals in an attempt to comply with criminal inept and stupid orders from higher up comes through strongly. Regardless of which nation those soldiers served, it's a well-told story and one that needed to be told.
I have read a quite a number of books on the Great War but this is one of the first to bring home the futility of some of the actions carried out by supposedly intelligent leaders & commanders. I hope that we never forget the sacrifice made by all the combatants, willing or not, in this most terrible War.
April 8, 2012
I vividly remember reading The Donkeys by Alan Clarke (the title comes from the phrase, "lions led by donkeys") many years ago that described the total incompetence of the British Expeditionary Force generals in WW I. They were completely unable to adapt to new technologies and insisted on fighting with tactics of previous wars. Joseph Persico doesn't let them off lightly either although that's not his primary mission. The Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day... refers to the time and date of the eventual Armistice. He jumps back and forth between the Armistice and the deeds that lead up to it (a process I found somewhat disconcerting at first.)
General Douglas Haig, a master at manipulating his social contacts, eventually rose to the top (slimy oil usually does) even though he failed the entrance exams to the British Staff College, usually a prerequisite for command. He also had no regard for the machine gun ("unremarkable weapon") that was to revolutionize the battlefield and kill virtually an entire male generation. (In one battle it cost the deaths of 9 men per yard gained -- and in most cases that same piece of ground was traded back within a few days.) Apparently, there is a new book out that attempts to resurrect Haig’s reputation, but I have not read it.
Lest anyone doubt the power of the cast system, Stephen Budiansky in Battle of Wits: The Complete Story of Codebreaking in World War II remarks on Robert Graves entrance into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers whose members were expected to have a private income in order to "play polo and hunt and keep up the social reputation of that regiment." For those odd cases in which the rules were waived (as in Graves' situation) they were always referred to as "warts." and were informed "that they could not expect to receive a medal for any feats on the battlefield." The donkeys were a major part of the caste system.
Persico uses the last minutes of the war (multiple examples of the ending of All Quiet on the Western Front - great book) as a springboard to reflect on events leading up to the last minutes of the war. Ironically, often the decision when to quit fighting was left up to individual unit commanders, and even though they knew the armistice had been signed and exactly when it was to take effect, some decided to continue fighting until the absolute last minute.
Some nifty quotes. Douglas MacArthur was an infantry officer known for his bravado and reluctance to stay in proper uniform. When asked why he adopted this behavior, he replied, “It’s the orders you disobey that make you famous.” I wonder if Harry Truman was aware of that proclivity.
Several reviewers have complained the book wasn’t kind enough to the generals nor supportive enough of the war, in general. Tough shit. Some 6500 allied soldiers died in the six hours between signing the armistice and 11:00 when it was to take effect. That’s appalling. Other reviewers complain it’s too elementary or not comprehensive, etc. Nonsense.
After reading WW I books, one is often left with a huge question mark: just what did the millions of deaths accomplish other than to set the stage for Hitler and the next big one? It was cousins fighting each other (King George, Tsar Nicholas, and Kaiser Wilhelm were all grandchildren of Queen Victoria) over diplomatic slights and tensions that had been brewing for the previous four decades leading to misperceptions and a continuing battle between those who wanted to whip up a nationalist frenzy and imperialists. One can only have wished the family might have slugged it out in the backyard somewhere rather than by killing off almost an entire generation of men.
Persico has done a marvelous job of integrating individual stories with their context in the larger scheme of things. It’s very readable and And the peace barely lasted a generation before falling apart.
General Douglas Haig, a master at manipulating his social contacts, eventually rose to the top (slimy oil usually does) even though he failed the entrance exams to the British Staff College, usually a prerequisite for command. He also had no regard for the machine gun ("unremarkable weapon") that was to revolutionize the battlefield and kill virtually an entire male generation. (In one battle it cost the deaths of 9 men per yard gained -- and in most cases that same piece of ground was traded back within a few days.) Apparently, there is a new book out that attempts to resurrect Haig’s reputation, but I have not read it.
Lest anyone doubt the power of the cast system, Stephen Budiansky in Battle of Wits: The Complete Story of Codebreaking in World War II remarks on Robert Graves entrance into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers whose members were expected to have a private income in order to "play polo and hunt and keep up the social reputation of that regiment." For those odd cases in which the rules were waived (as in Graves' situation) they were always referred to as "warts." and were informed "that they could not expect to receive a medal for any feats on the battlefield." The donkeys were a major part of the caste system.
Persico uses the last minutes of the war (multiple examples of the ending of All Quiet on the Western Front - great book) as a springboard to reflect on events leading up to the last minutes of the war. Ironically, often the decision when to quit fighting was left up to individual unit commanders, and even though they knew the armistice had been signed and exactly when it was to take effect, some decided to continue fighting until the absolute last minute.
Some nifty quotes. Douglas MacArthur was an infantry officer known for his bravado and reluctance to stay in proper uniform. When asked why he adopted this behavior, he replied, “It’s the orders you disobey that make you famous.” I wonder if Harry Truman was aware of that proclivity.
Several reviewers have complained the book wasn’t kind enough to the generals nor supportive enough of the war, in general. Tough shit. Some 6500 allied soldiers died in the six hours between signing the armistice and 11:00 when it was to take effect. That’s appalling. Other reviewers complain it’s too elementary or not comprehensive, etc. Nonsense.
After reading WW I books, one is often left with a huge question mark: just what did the millions of deaths accomplish other than to set the stage for Hitler and the next big one? It was cousins fighting each other (King George, Tsar Nicholas, and Kaiser Wilhelm were all grandchildren of Queen Victoria) over diplomatic slights and tensions that had been brewing for the previous four decades leading to misperceptions and a continuing battle between those who wanted to whip up a nationalist frenzy and imperialists. One can only have wished the family might have slugged it out in the backyard somewhere rather than by killing off almost an entire generation of men.
Persico has done a marvelous job of integrating individual stories with their context in the larger scheme of things. It’s very readable and And the peace barely lasted a generation before falling apart.
July 25, 2015
This is such a well-documented book, offering not only to give an insight on what on the 11th November, but also throughout the 4 gruesome years of the war. If there's one thing I could reproach it, it'd just be Persico's overlook of other nation's role in this war. He focuses mainly on Germany, England. France and the US. We're given a brief overview of Russia, Serbia, Austria and Turkey's respective roles in the war. India was then under the British colony, which meant that 1/6 of the British army were Indians. He fails to mention their role in the war.
All in all, however, this book is a detailed account of what happened, of what was lost and what was gained (in short: nothing.) Persico does a great job in explaining the strategies and the futility of the war. He brings emotions from the past letters of soldiers to their families.
If I had to describe WW1 in one word, after reading this book: futile.
All in all, however, this book is a detailed account of what happened, of what was lost and what was gained (in short: nothing.) Persico does a great job in explaining the strategies and the futility of the war. He brings emotions from the past letters of soldiers to their families.
If I had to describe WW1 in one word, after reading this book: futile.
December 16, 2019
What a book.
It's a very touching and intimate look at the last day of the first world war and the time leading up to it. But it deals more with the men at the front and not the more well known leaders far away from the fighting.
The book really makes you wonder what it was all about and especially why so many men died after the war had, in theory, already ended.
Anyone interested in history and the great war should read it
It's a very touching and intimate look at the last day of the first world war and the time leading up to it. But it deals more with the men at the front and not the more well known leaders far away from the fighting.
The book really makes you wonder what it was all about and especially why so many men died after the war had, in theory, already ended.
Anyone interested in history and the great war should read it
February 20, 2016
"11th Month 11th Day 11th Hour" is a book that both engages and frustrates at the same time. Considering the book's title (as well as its subtitle -- "Armistice Day, 1918"), I began reading this book thinking that Joseph Persico was going to do an in-depth look at the final day of fighting in World War I. However, this is not necessarily the case, because if you'll notice there's a second subtitle to the book: "World War I and It's Violent Climax." Persico starts off by focusing on individuals on both sides of the trenches as the final hour of the war approaches. Yet he continually jumps back into time to give a general history of the Western Front, then switches to an American-based history once the U.S. enters the war in 1917. He constantly goes back and forth in his narrative, introducing a plethora of individuals at various stages of the war. After a while it gets hard to remember who is who, and a lot of page-shuffling ensues. When he finally does get down the final hours of the war, he seems to speed up the pace of the book so that the actual events of Nov. 11 get a less-than-satisfactory overview. All of this detracts from otherwise is a decent book that explores the lives of the men in the trenches and the utterly horrific conditions they endured for four years. He also does a good job of revealing the pointless deaths of thousands of men in the final hours of the war, when both sides knew the end was near yet the Allied officers continued to press on with their attacks. "11/11/11" is worth reading for the human face it puts on the First World War, but be warned: if you like your histories to start at point A and end neatly at point Z, this probably isn't the book for you.
May 28, 2012
What an eye-opener. Going into this book I didn't have much of an appreciation for WWI, the events of the war or its legacy. WWI blows my mind in scale, depravity, human loss, and the absurdity of it all. Over 10 million men lost their lives in the war. Another 30 million wounded or missing.
This book takes scores of personal stories from the men who lived the war in the trenches and battlefields and puts them in the larger perspective. By the end you have the picture of a war started by a political assassination, blown out of proportion by ill-conceived regional alliances, propagated by ambition, retribution, and hate espoused by generals and other decision makers, and finally, a war ended by an armistice to stop the slaughter.
In particular, this book makes the point that even though the allied generals had confirmation of the pending armistice, they STILL pushed the war machine forward to the very last minute. In other words, even knowing that they had essentially won the war, they nonetheless, continued sending thousands of young men to their deaths on the battlefield. And why? Pride. To punish those Germans. It was insanity. It was criminal. It makes for sad commentary on the human race.
This book takes scores of personal stories from the men who lived the war in the trenches and battlefields and puts them in the larger perspective. By the end you have the picture of a war started by a political assassination, blown out of proportion by ill-conceived regional alliances, propagated by ambition, retribution, and hate espoused by generals and other decision makers, and finally, a war ended by an armistice to stop the slaughter.
In particular, this book makes the point that even though the allied generals had confirmation of the pending armistice, they STILL pushed the war machine forward to the very last minute. In other words, even knowing that they had essentially won the war, they nonetheless, continued sending thousands of young men to their deaths on the battlefield. And why? Pride. To punish those Germans. It was insanity. It was criminal. It makes for sad commentary on the human race.
December 13, 2018
This is a great book. Very depressing, some of the stories are just awful. It is unthinkable how much blood was shed after the armistice was agreed to. The narrative is interesting too, there are a lot of flashbacks. Many of the wars important events are reviewed throughout the book. Great read
January 1, 2022
This was a fantastic retelling of the events during World War, along with the “insanity“ of so many young men dying on the last day, after the armistice was signed. I like the fact that it talked in terms of individuals rather than whole armies because you had a real feeling for what these men were going through. I thought it was a really good book and a good retelling of World War I.
November 11, 2018
Interesting history of World War I that interpersed events on the last day, 11/11/18, with earlier events in the war. Learned that there were a large number of casulties on all sides on the last day even though military commanders knew that the Armistice was signed. It was particularly poignant to read of so many killed when the cease fire was only hours and, in many cases, minutes away.
January 28, 2016
I listened to this book on tape. Largely through the voices of soldiers in the trenches, the author describes how both sides of the conflict sent men to die senseless deaths on November 11, 1918 right up until the final minute before the Armistice--a staggering 11,000 casualties. In this audio, Harry Chase read all of the soldiers' words in their respective accents--German, British, French, and others, and was very convincing with all of them.
Once the arrangements were made for the truce to begin at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the armies of both sides were ordered to fight on; the idea apparently being to secure as much ground as possible before peace broke out. As a result, more died on November 11, 1918, than on D-Day a quarter-century later.
This book was very revealing in the senseless stupidity of WWI in the first place, and breath-taking in the utter lack of disregard in ordering men to their deaths while peace was already agreed to. But for me, it went on too long (just like the war), and I found it very disconcerting how the author constantly skipped back and forth in time.
Once the arrangements were made for the truce to begin at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the armies of both sides were ordered to fight on; the idea apparently being to secure as much ground as possible before peace broke out. As a result, more died on November 11, 1918, than on D-Day a quarter-century later.
This book was very revealing in the senseless stupidity of WWI in the first place, and breath-taking in the utter lack of disregard in ordering men to their deaths while peace was already agreed to. But for me, it went on too long (just like the war), and I found it very disconcerting how the author constantly skipped back and forth in time.
January 1, 2025
Up until recently I had found many non-fiction accounts of WWI to be so dense and convoluted as to confound my understanding of the war and what led to its start. I have, however, been more drawn to works on the war by authors I'm familiar with, and I was pleased to have come across Persico's work in my father's library. I enjoyed his biography of Murrow and his recounting of the Nuremberg trials. Persico's work here is impeccable. His research is thorough and extensive and he manages to recount the horrors of the war's final day -- after the armistice had already been signed -- and the slaughter that ensued, while also admirably weaving in a "reprise of all that led up to it," as the book jacket describes. In this history, Persico focuses mainly on the soldier in the trenches, whether French, German, Italian, Canadian or American while also managing to recount the actions of York, Truman, the Red Baron, the Lost Battalion, and the young commanders we would see again in WWII --MacArthur, Patton, Marshal and so on. It's a sobering read, but an important one.
January 3, 2018
Right, I've got to say this book is begging to be made into a film. Persico has a done a marvelous job bringing to life the men who were unfortunate to be play the part of pawns on both sides of the most pointless wars ever fought. Thankfully, this is not a book which bogs itself down on the military strategies of the war, rather choosing instead to tell the stories of the men trying to survive the last day of the war.
March 15, 2015
A great read! Very detailed and informative. Author Joseph Persico does an especially great job exploring life in the trenches in the Great War, as well as all those sad and needless casualties within the final moments of this god awful conflict. Highly recommended.
December 31, 2018
Had been wanting to read this book for awhile, and in particular, wanted to time the reading to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended the Great War. Well, after a long wait, finally got to listen to this work. This work was not quite what I expected. It spend most of its time covering various aspects of the entire war, with only the last 3rd of so of the book covering the actual final days of the war, especially the final day of the war. The general approach of the work is that the author would introduce a figure or concept that had some tie to the 11th day of Nov 1918, but then would go back to explain the full concept of how this individual or idea tied in with the overall war. Eventually, the author gets to the final day of the war, and the various conflicts (internal and external) that faced the combatants of the war.
Of interest is the reaction of the various military men on that final day. While the word that official fighting would end at 11 am, many did not either trust the Germans or decided that their own personal agendas were more important. Most forces, especially those who fought for so long in the war, took the proverbial knee to kill the clock, ending the war alive. However, there were many who were engaged in fighting right up until the bitter end. A good number of those actions were not significant or warranted for the end of the war. There was bravery in the war, but on that last day, especially when word was out that all of the fighting was slated to end that day, any actions that resulted in deaths was needless and in vain.
This is not a bad book, but it spends too much time on trying to explain the whole war, and not on the key timeframe as indicated in the title. It is important to understanding the context of why people might have reacted the way they did on the final day, but this work sprawled well beyond what it should have. It is well written and worth a read, especially for a student who has limited knowledge of the war, but for those who have a working knowledge of the conflict, this book is a bit of a disappointment. The reader is okay, but the final verdict depends on what you think of the set up of the work. For me, it is a bit disappointing. Some things to learn, but not for those who have reader other works on this war, or for those who want an in-depth knowledge of the final day of arguable the worst war in the history of warfare.
Of interest is the reaction of the various military men on that final day. While the word that official fighting would end at 11 am, many did not either trust the Germans or decided that their own personal agendas were more important. Most forces, especially those who fought for so long in the war, took the proverbial knee to kill the clock, ending the war alive. However, there were many who were engaged in fighting right up until the bitter end. A good number of those actions were not significant or warranted for the end of the war. There was bravery in the war, but on that last day, especially when word was out that all of the fighting was slated to end that day, any actions that resulted in deaths was needless and in vain.
This is not a bad book, but it spends too much time on trying to explain the whole war, and not on the key timeframe as indicated in the title. It is important to understanding the context of why people might have reacted the way they did on the final day, but this work sprawled well beyond what it should have. It is well written and worth a read, especially for a student who has limited knowledge of the war, but for those who have a working knowledge of the conflict, this book is a bit of a disappointment. The reader is okay, but the final verdict depends on what you think of the set up of the work. For me, it is a bit disappointing. Some things to learn, but not for those who have reader other works on this war, or for those who want an in-depth knowledge of the final day of arguable the worst war in the history of warfare.
June 28, 2017
Just finished reading Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour by Joseph E. Persico. As you can probably guess, it regards the build-up to Armistice Day and its effects, through a particular lens.
That lens, by the way, is intended to make one major point: That the needless deaths in the final hours of the war (after the armistice had already been signed) may be a metaphor for World War I, or even war itself. In that regard, the author has an important point to make, one that I could certainly agree with after reading so much about this subject.
The problem, however, is not his point, but how he arrives at it. Persico's work is a nonlinear history of the war in general, with a focus on American involvement. It flips back and forth between a chronological history of the war and the events on the morning of November 11, 1918. Other than spreading out the tension, I can see no particular reason for using this device. The history of the war from 1914 to 1917, which takes up at least half the book, has been covered in detail by many major authors; other than a few added anecdotes, he seems to be simply summarizing their works.
What saves the book, though, is its theme, which might be considered cynical and nihilistic to some. No doubt, the questions the author raises are worth asking. I just wish he could get to them a little more quickly.
That lens, by the way, is intended to make one major point: That the needless deaths in the final hours of the war (after the armistice had already been signed) may be a metaphor for World War I, or even war itself. In that regard, the author has an important point to make, one that I could certainly agree with after reading so much about this subject.
The problem, however, is not his point, but how he arrives at it. Persico's work is a nonlinear history of the war in general, with a focus on American involvement. It flips back and forth between a chronological history of the war and the events on the morning of November 11, 1918. Other than spreading out the tension, I can see no particular reason for using this device. The history of the war from 1914 to 1917, which takes up at least half the book, has been covered in detail by many major authors; other than a few added anecdotes, he seems to be simply summarizing their works.
What saves the book, though, is its theme, which might be considered cynical and nihilistic to some. No doubt, the questions the author raises are worth asking. I just wish he could get to them a little more quickly.
June 20, 2021
One of the Best WWI Books I’ve Read.
This is a fantastic book, thoroughly covering the history of the First World War (WWI) while contextualizing the war through the lens of its final hours. Much like the war itself the last hours of the war are shown to be a time of confusion with Generals choosing to recklessly sacrifice the lives of their men with little or nothing to gain.
The author takes on the monumental task of describing this vast war as a whole, and does so in a coherent narrative form while also focusing a great deal on the thoughts and feeling of the soldiers themselves. The author touches on all aspects of the war, the air war, naval warfare, African front, and the Gallipoli campaign, but focuses most of his attention on the western front.
The author makes the subject not only eminently understandable, but fascinating, and often heart wrenching. He really connects you with the experience of the soldiers in the trenches.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to better understand WWI. While there may be other books that do a good job of describing the war, this is the only one who demonstrates the utter insanity of what happened in the final hours of the war, hours that directly reflect the the problems faced in the war as a whole.
This is a fantastic book, thoroughly covering the history of the First World War (WWI) while contextualizing the war through the lens of its final hours. Much like the war itself the last hours of the war are shown to be a time of confusion with Generals choosing to recklessly sacrifice the lives of their men with little or nothing to gain.
The author takes on the monumental task of describing this vast war as a whole, and does so in a coherent narrative form while also focusing a great deal on the thoughts and feeling of the soldiers themselves. The author touches on all aspects of the war, the air war, naval warfare, African front, and the Gallipoli campaign, but focuses most of his attention on the western front.
The author makes the subject not only eminently understandable, but fascinating, and often heart wrenching. He really connects you with the experience of the soldiers in the trenches.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to better understand WWI. While there may be other books that do a good job of describing the war, this is the only one who demonstrates the utter insanity of what happened in the final hours of the war, hours that directly reflect the the problems faced in the war as a whole.
December 13, 2022
If I had to use one word to describe this book, it would have to be “frustrating.” I think that is the point.
Except to us history nerds, WWI is largely forgotten. It was eclipsed in intrigue by its global successor some 20 years later. But the stories from “The Great War” are critical to learn.
Persico weaves a great tale, criss-crossing time frames, from the beginning of the war, through the middle, to the very end. You don’t have time to get attached to any of the subjects of the story, as most of them wind up dead, needlessly. The glory-seeking high command, stubbornly refusing to recognize the slaughter for what it was, will have you pulling your hair out and asking yourself how any human being could be so callous, so uncaring, so empty of heart and empathy. But that is the overarching theme of the entire war. You have to remind yourself this is not a fiction author toying with our emotions: all of this stuff actually happened.
Persico’s conclusions at the end are, in my opinion (as an amateur studier of history), spot on. It was a terrible time in history, which directly lead to a more terrible time in history. To avoid repeating history we must learn from it. And this book shares some powerful lessons.
Except to us history nerds, WWI is largely forgotten. It was eclipsed in intrigue by its global successor some 20 years later. But the stories from “The Great War” are critical to learn.
Persico weaves a great tale, criss-crossing time frames, from the beginning of the war, through the middle, to the very end. You don’t have time to get attached to any of the subjects of the story, as most of them wind up dead, needlessly. The glory-seeking high command, stubbornly refusing to recognize the slaughter for what it was, will have you pulling your hair out and asking yourself how any human being could be so callous, so uncaring, so empty of heart and empathy. But that is the overarching theme of the entire war. You have to remind yourself this is not a fiction author toying with our emotions: all of this stuff actually happened.
Persico’s conclusions at the end are, in my opinion (as an amateur studier of history), spot on. It was a terrible time in history, which directly lead to a more terrible time in history. To avoid repeating history we must learn from it. And this book shares some powerful lessons.
April 9, 2025
The perspectives of the war’s participants are covered anecdotally. Chapters usually start with an event close to the end of the war on November 11, 1918. This sets the tone and subject matter of that chapter. Many characters are introduced and how they survived the war, or not. There is a broad description of how the war progressed militarily in the field and back at home, but the focus is on individual personal stories. As a result, many topics of a personal interest are covered from the sublime to the gross. Many important people got their start in World War I such as Patton, Hitler, and Truman. And just as many literary characters such as Kilmer, Sassoon, and Graves.
The reading is not very uplifting as it shows people at their worst which is not cancelled out by other people at their best. Both sides fought viciously right up to the time of the armistice. Many were killed even after the armistice. Especially on the Allied side, generals down to privates wanted to teach the Germans a lesson and take as much territory as possible before the fighting stopped. If you want a good idea of the waste of World War I, read this book. Not least of all because it did not prevent World War II.
The reading is not very uplifting as it shows people at their worst which is not cancelled out by other people at their best. Both sides fought viciously right up to the time of the armistice. Many were killed even after the armistice. Especially on the Allied side, generals down to privates wanted to teach the Germans a lesson and take as much territory as possible before the fighting stopped. If you want a good idea of the waste of World War I, read this book. Not least of all because it did not prevent World War II.
July 15, 2022
Having read countless books on WWI and individual battles of the Great War, I picked this book up to hear more about the infamous deaths and fights that took place on the final day of the war (more allies died on Armistice Day than Americans were killed on D-Day in WWII, despite most everyone knowing the war was scheduled to end at 11 that morning). When the book does discuss that day and those stories, it shines.
Unfortunately, it does that very infrequently as it tries to weave those Armistice Day stories into a general history of the war. That general history is quite poor and reads like something that would be published in Reader's Digest complete with historical anecdotes. I could recommend a dozen books that are better at outlining the war, its beginnings, individual battles, and its consequences, all of which this book tries to touch on. I wish the author had stuck with the final day, which he demonstrates well is a fitting topic on its own. Anyone interested in that topic would be better served in reading the final half dozen to ten chapters and skipping the general history.
Unfortunately, it does that very infrequently as it tries to weave those Armistice Day stories into a general history of the war. That general history is quite poor and reads like something that would be published in Reader's Digest complete with historical anecdotes. I could recommend a dozen books that are better at outlining the war, its beginnings, individual battles, and its consequences, all of which this book tries to touch on. I wish the author had stuck with the final day, which he demonstrates well is a fitting topic on its own. Anyone interested in that topic would be better served in reading the final half dozen to ten chapters and skipping the general history.
November 13, 2018
The way that this book is edited makes it interesting, but drones on a little at places. It is a great compilation of letters, observations, reports, and narrative that drive home the heart of WWI. Today "Flanders Fields" have many memorials to the fallen of this war, but it is easy to forget that they were sent there by their own leaders and often for poor reasons. One of the greatest loss of life was at Verdun, where the order to hold the place was almost purely political. This book honors the fallen, but also reports the horrible waste that could have been avoided. It should never have been allowed to escalate to this level of conflict.
Ultimately, the humiliation of Germany produced a breeding ground for what would become the Third Reich and lead to WWII. Crazy stuff!
A worthy read, especially as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armistice.
Recommend!
Ultimately, the humiliation of Germany produced a breeding ground for what would become the Third Reich and lead to WWII. Crazy stuff!
A worthy read, especially as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armistice.
Recommend!
August 8, 2023
I looked at some of the two star reviews prior to giving this five stars, as I always do before a five star review. Honestly, the comments just didn't resonate with me. I understand that this book jumps around, weaving previous events of WWI in with stories of the last hours. But I thought the author did a fantastic job of selecting both stories and flashbacks that worked together to paint a much deeper picture than had the author just focused on the final few hours of the war. The one two star review I read was upset that this wasn't an in-depth history of WWI, which completely misses the point of what this book was trying to do.
I thought the book was fantastic, as it weaved in so many fascinating stories of individual lives and circumstances.
I thought the book was fantastic, as it weaved in so many fascinating stories of individual lives and circumstances.
December 23, 2018
Books like these make me want to read more nonfiction. (My only gripe is that I can’t read nonfiction faster!) What could have been a very dark, dreary look at a terrible conflict was instead an enjoyable educational experience. Don’t get me wrong—I still got mad and felt bad about what I was reading, but I didn’t find the text depressing.
Because of this book, I feel well versed about WWI and have a much better understanding of WWII. Who knew that the military hotshots of the 30s-40s proved themselves in the 10s-20s? Not me, yet it seems elementary that these folks had to come from SOMEWHERE! My other big takeaway? In order to understand the present, we’ve got to study the past. Cliche but true. My HS history teacher Mr. Y. would be proud.
Because of this book, I feel well versed about WWI and have a much better understanding of WWII. Who knew that the military hotshots of the 30s-40s proved themselves in the 10s-20s? Not me, yet it seems elementary that these folks had to come from SOMEWHERE! My other big takeaway? In order to understand the present, we’ve got to study the past. Cliche but true. My HS history teacher Mr. Y. would be proud.
June 9, 2020
This was a long and complicated book, but it really delves into the history of World War I. That makes it the perfect read for anyone who wants to learn more about the war no one talks about. The author definitely did his research and his bibliography at the end will testify to that -- many pages of books he looked at. He also tries to bring the book into the perspective of those who were there by using letters and diaries of the soldiers and others who were an integral part of the "war to end all wars."
Rather than fulfilling its prophesy, it became the reason for all subsequent wars that followed.
Definitely a five-star read.
Rather than fulfilling its prophesy, it became the reason for all subsequent wars that followed.
Definitely a five-star read.
July 3, 2020
If you still have any romantic notions of World War I after completing this book it is likely you didn't read it properly. Immensely challenging book in terms of the wave of emotions each chapter hits you with. The question this book tries to grapple with is simply "what was the point?" Persico approaches it through the lens of the final few hours of the war being somewhat symbolic of the entire war. It is a fascinating and moving thesis. I was particularly gripped by a story told by a German soldier, who shares with the reader what it is like to fight hand to hand for the first time...I had trouble not thinking about that account for a number of days.
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