Synopses & Reviews
Now more than ever, a clear historical understanding of the conflicts that have engulfed the world is essential. In
The First World War, one of the most respected historians of his generation offers a brief but hugely readable narrative account of WWI, its causes and consequences, and the many historical controversies surrounding the origin and conduct of the war.
Karl von Clausewitz wrote that war is a trinity composed of the policy of the government, the activities of the military, and the passions of the people. Michael Howard argues that "each of these must be taken into account if we are to understand both why the war happened and why it took the course it did." In nine brisk chapters, Howard lays out the historical situation in Europe in 1914, the dispositions of the major belligerents prior to the war, the causes of war, the major campaigns, the entrance of the United States, the crisis, victory, and settlement of the war. Along the way, he offers compelling insights into the political motivations, military actions, and the "passions of the people" that contributed most strongly to the outcome of the war.
There is no other short history of WWI on the market today written by a historian of Michael Howard's stature. For anyone wishing to gain a quick but authoritative understanding of one of the most crucial events of the twentieth century, The First World War is the best place to begin.
Review
"An esteemed historian, Howard expertly and succinctly summarizes the Great War for the layperson.... Over the next decade, as we approach the centennial of this war, there will be a raft of books and documentaries. This volume is an excellent way to get a grounding in this momentous subject."--
Forbes Magazine"The best concise introduction to and overview of World War I."--Military Heritage
"Howard wraps up the entire war in 147 lucid pages.... For someone who is just starting to explore the war, Howard's book is the place to begin."--Weekly Standard
"A concise, credible, lucid account of the causes, battles, politics, and consequences of the Great War. Howard compresses a mass of material, theory, and argument. His ambition, he states, is merely to introduce. But he does far more; he also engages and educates.... Demonstrates with clarity, craft, and precision that even in scholarship less can be more."--Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The best concise introduction to and overview of World War I."--Military Heritage
"A concise, credible, lucid account of the causes, battles, politics, and consequences of the Great War. Howard compresses a mass of material, theory, and argument. His ambition, he states, is merely to introduce. But he does far more; he also engages and educates.... Demonstrates with clarity, craft, and precision that even in scholarship less can be more."--Kirkus Reviews
"Succintly expressive, Howard's style concentrates narrative and interpretation within a few sentences, but a deep historical controversy often lurks behind his conclusion, such as who was responsible for igniting the war....Howard elegantly applies his erudition and judgement to this concise introduction."--Booklist
About the Author
Sir Michael Howard has held the Chair of War Studies at King's College London, the Chichele Chair of History of War, and the Regius Chair of Modern History at Oxford, and the Robert A. Lovett Chair of Military and Naval History at Yale. His works include
The Franco-Prussian War, The Causes of Wars, War and the Liberal Conscience, The Lessons of History, and
War in European History.
Table of Contents
1. Europe in 1914
2. The Coming of War
3. The Campaigns of 1914
4. 1915: The War Continues
5. 1916: The War of Attrition
6. The United States Enters the War
7. 1917: The Year of Crisis
8. 1918: The Year of Victory
9. The Settlement
Annexe A: President Wilson's Fourteen Points