Synopses & Reviews
In this timely new study, A. W. Purdue illustrates the strategies of the combatants, the changing nature of warfare, the failures and achievements of military commanders and the impact of new weaponry. At the centre is the interaction of the diplomatic, political and economic dimensions of the war with the unfolding military developments.
Synopsis
This is a timely new study of the Great War, a hundred years on.
The First World War not only provides an invaluable introduction to the topic but also deals with the changing perspectives of, and attitudes towards, the war and its place in national and international memories.
This clear and concise volume demonstrates the strategies of the combatants, the changing nature of warfare, the failures and achievements of military commanders and the impact of new weaponry. It leads you through the debates surrounding the war, from its causes through to its consequences, looking at the subject from a twenty-first century perspective. Rather than simply focusing on military history, Purdue pulls in strands of the diplomatic, political and economic dimensions of conflict, making this an ideal introduction to the First World War for both students and general readers.
About the Author
A. W. Purdue is Visiting Professor in History at the University of Northumbria, UK.
Table of Contents
Maps
Introduction
1. Why Did It Begin?
2. How the War Began3. War Fever?4. Elusive Victory5. The Widened War6. Home Fronts and the Test of War7. The Problems of the Offensive8. 1916, The Killing Fields9. 1917, Germany's Victory in the East10. The War at Sea11. The Final Struggle12. The Peace that Did Not Bring an End to War Conclusion: The War in European Memory
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index