World War I: A History From Beginning to End (World War 1)

I was hesitant to purchase this book because it did not have references. Yet, on reading a sample it was clear the author knew his material. He does not labor over details, though he does include them at points I thought necessary. Perhaps the best example is at the beginning when he presents a narrative about the assassination that triggered the eventual onset of war. He writes:The plan was to blow up Ferdinand’s car, and a bomb was thrown at his procession as it passed a crowd. However, they failed to kill or even injure the archduke, though they did inflict injuries on others. Later that day, Ferdinand visited some of those who were hurt in the hospital. When he was in his car being driven away from that visit, one of the bomb-throwers, Gavrilo Princip, happened to be on a quiet street that the car turned onto. He took advantage of this coincidence and shot and killed Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie.He also describes how Tsar Nicholas II's wife, Alexandra, took over domestic affairs while her husband was involved with the war, with Rasputin helping her make political decisions. The author tells us,[Rasputin] did, however, come to symbolize for many the incompetence and disconnectedness of the royal family from the Russian people. During the revolutionary years, he was put to death.He covers the major battles of the war without losing the reader in detail, yet leaving him with enough information to show how the outcome affected the war's progress or lack thereof.I was especially pleased that the author covers the fake neutrality of the US and its eagerness to enter the war. He points out that Wilson was elected on a promise of peace then turns around and asks for a declaration of war. The war was very disappointing to Wilson who only obtained one of his 14 points at the Paris Peace Conference, the creation of the League of Nations, which the US did not join.He also reminds us the WWI was only the preliminary for WWII, as the war guilt clause in the peace treaty along with the severe war reparations left the German people susceptible to Hitler.I give the book five stars for its brevity without losing meaning, assuming you have some background in the war. It can be read in one sitting. If there's a second edition, I hope the author considers including references or at least suggestions for further reading.

This series is a good series of books. If you just want a taste of what the actual history is, it will just touch on the events but not go in depth with it. That is my only complaint.

To fully understand what caused World War I would take some reading, but this book manages to do a good job in a few pages. There are no chapters filled with the exploits of heroes just a clear telling of what happened. Now some might see this as a over simplification of the facts and it may well be, but it does give a person a starting point for a more in depth look .

This book is uneven it has an assembly of facts but the presentation is a bit like First year college. Student paper with underlining opinions of events

A fast read gives an interesting high level summary of key events. Looking forward to the rest of the series and learning more.

At one time in my life, I was well read on the history of World War II, but knew little about the first war. This book was a quick, short summary of World War I, and certainly provided what I was looking for. It is well written and flows easily chronologically. I would highly recommend it for the reader looking for a quick overview of the war. That being said, I really would not call this a book. Its too short. I usually check the book length as I have fallen into the trap of buying a book which turns out to be a long article. Recommended for one looking for a refresher on World War I

This short book is an excellent short documentary on the First World War. It helps to determine and understand the world conditions and country and area tensions that were present at the beginning of the war. Of course the one event that history points to that actually started the conflict was the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand during his visit to Serbia.This is either a good primary or refresher depending on your level of knowledge of the events of WW1.WLM of SC

The blood line connection between the leaders of Germany/The British Empire/ Russia has always been fascinating. I really appreciate this accounting of WWI - in that it covered most all aspects & theaters of the conflict. Esp the notes on the battles involving the Ottoman Empire.Explanations of each chapter was concise, non-repetitive and beneficial to the reader.