A Short History of World War I

by James L. Stokesbury

Book Overview

World War I was a bloodletting so vast and unprecedented that for a generation it was known simply as the Great War. Casualty lists reached unimagined proportions as the same ground -- places like Ypres and the Somme -- was fought over again and again. Other major bloody battles remain vivid in memory to this day: Gallipoli and the Battle of Jutland are but two examples. Europe was at war with itself, and the effect on Western civilization was profound,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688001297
• ISBN13: 9780688001292
• Release Date: February 1981
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Concise, lively history of WW I

This book is not just for history buffs, as it doesn't get bogged down in statistics, and minute facts.You get the idea of what WW I was about, but in capsulated form.

A terrific summary -- "just the facts"

Here we have a straight-forward version of the complete history of WW I, told in a very readable manner. Not much is omitted in terms of politics and/or battles but Stokesbury has managed to limit this work to 348 pages including the useful index. I bought this book when it first came out in 1981 and read it right away. I have read it since that time as well and found it to be a great repository of facts concerning this monumental conflict. There are four or five nice line maps which reflect changing events during the war and the softcover binding makes this one easy to take along to the doctor's office. The fonts are also plenty large enough to read in comfort. If you're looking to expand your knowledge of 20th Century Europe and/or of "The Great War," I cannot think of a better investment than Stokesbury's competent rendering of this fascinating topic.

Outstanding

An excellent introduction to the "war to end all wars". Strange footnote: while reading it on vacation on the beach in Puerto Vallarta I took a break to grab some lunch. I walk over and end up in line behind a guy wearing a Kaiser Wilhelm t-shirt. No kidding.

The best written book on WWI

James Stokesbury has written what I feel is the best overall book on WWI. Over the past several years, WWI has become fascinating to me, and I now have a library of about 15 book on the subject. Without a doubt, this is the best overall book on the subject. What really sets this book apart is the writing, much more readable than many if not most authors. For example, as much as I like John Keegan's work, this book is better written.Unlike some authors, Stokesbury pulls no punches. When a commander is dense, stupid, or even worse, he tells it like it is. One of my favorite lines from the book goes something like (I don't have my copy at hand) `General ... was appointed to command the ... army, and was expected to do nothing, which he did exceedingly well.' This gives you a flavor of his writing style. This is not to say that Stokesbury is flippant, just direct. Stokesbury, who is a historian, writes as well as many novelists. The book is logically divided into digestible chapters in approximate chronological order. Some parts of the war, for example, the naval parts, while important, have only a few episodes worth noting in an overall history, so he has grouped them into three chapters, one on the early battles, one on Jutland, and one on sub warfare.All in all, I feel this is one of the two best books ever written on WWI, the other being Barbara Tuchman's "The Guns of August", which only covers a short period of time at the beginning of the war. If you have an interest in WWI, buy this book.

Excellent readable account of World War I

This book is a concise, well written narrative covering the horrors of this conflict. I have noted previous reviewers stating that it is a listing of one bloody battle after another: True. However, Stokesbury gives great explanations as to the "why" behind the staggering loss of life based on the use of pre-WWI tactics, in the face of new weaponry.If you are looking for detailed accounts of other than the Western and Eastern fronts, then this might not be the book for you, for they are only covered anecdotally. Yet the coverage for the conflict in the European theaters is great. Stokesbury does not give a dry, mundane explanation of the events, but attempts to make the reader see the whole picture and does it in a very easy to understand format. A great book for anyone who wants a brief history of this conflict