Recommended reading on the First World War

[weebobster]

The First World War: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Howard

http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199205592.do

A very concise but analytical look at the Great War and fully recommended for all those wanting to take an initial look at the First World War or for those who just want the main issues presented in a clear and concise format.

This book is also available in electronic format from Amazon.

The following is taken from the above website:

* Written by one of the most pre-eminent military historians
* Each chapter deals in turn with a particular period in the war, from its beginnings to the eventual surrender of the Central Powers and the settlement
* Succinct and accessible, guiding the reader through the major controversies that still surround the history of the war
* There is no other short book about World War I on the market written by an author of Michael Howard's stature


By the time the First World War ended in 1918, eight million people had died in what had been perhaps the most apocalyptic episode the world had known. This Very Short Introduction provides a concise and insightful history of the 'Great War', focusing on why it happened, how it was fought, and why it had the consequences it did.

It examines the state of Europe in 1914 and the outbreak of war; the onset of attrition and crisis; the role of the US; the collapse of Russia; and the weakening and eventual surrender of the Central Powers. Looking at the historical controversies surrounding the causes and conduct of war, Michael Howard also describes how peace was ultimately made, and the potent legacy of resentment left to Germany.

[jwsleser]

Have got a the 1st book of a trilogy coming at the end of the week. The Beginning Of Futility by Gaetano V. Cavallaro. It's supposed to cover all aspects of the Austro-Italian Front including politics, diplomacy, the air and naval actions along with the main fighting along the Isonzo Front. The other 2 books are called Futlity Ending In Disaster and Disaster Ending In Final Victory.

They come highly recommended.

Has this book arrived? If so have you read it and can you offer an opinion? I quizzed my Italian friends and none of them have heard of this trilogy. They do read English works, so their lack of knowledge on this work does raise some concern.

Pista!

Jeff

[jamlasica]

Here's my list of books about World War I.
http://pommerschespionier.com/index.php ... liography/

Regards,
Milosz

[Imad]

At the Sharp End by Tim Cook

A good book on the Canadian contribution to the Great War. This is the first of a two volume series.

[Attrition]

Silhouettes of Aeroplanes and Airships - Royal Flying Corps


http://ia700209.us.archive.org/1/items/ ... dAirships/

[Patient_A]

Hello folks! I'm new to the forum, I've always admired the great expertise of many of the users here and I finally decided to participate.
As regarding WWI, what's your opinion on the World War I Document archive http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Main_Page? It seems to offer lots of interesting sources, but unfortunately, nothing is scanned or originally transcribed, it's just plain English texts and not always properly referenced.
Regards,
Lukas

[Attrition]

I thought that there was some useful stuff there.

[Imad]

Shock Troops by Tim Cook

This is the second in the two volume series. It's hard to go through these volumes without having a profound respect for the fighting abilities of the Canucks.

[JD]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Norman Stone's seminal work "The Eastern Front - 1914-1917".



This book was first published in 1975 and thus far there has been next to nothing to challenge it. Sure, there are books on battles like Tannenberg but precious little else. IMHO, the Eastern Front was much more interesting than the Western Front and produced arguably the most innovative general of the war; Aleksei Brusilov. The system which became known as "Hutier Tactics" which emerged at the Battle of Riga in 1917, were first used in the Brusilov Offensive a year earlier.

[Imad]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Norman Stone's seminal work "The Eastern Front - 1914-1917".



This book was first published in 1975 and thus far there has been next to nothing to challenge it. Sure, there are books on battles like Tannenberg but precious little else. IMHO, the Eastern Front was much more interesting than the Western Front and produced arguably the most innovative general of the war; Aleksei Brusilov. The system which became known as "Hutier Tactics" which emerged at the Battle of Riga in 1917, were first used in the Brusilov Offensive a year earlier.

Interesting. I'll get it. Thanks for the recommendation.

[JD]

No worries.

This is not a totally comprehensive book. That would be almost impossible to write. It's a general overview which goes into the political and economic considerations, particularly those of Tsarist Russia and the collapse of outdated monarchist ideas in Eastern Europe.

It's a broad spectrum of the whole campaign and it moves a lot from the battlefield to the court of whatever despot you can think of.

If Tuchman made an emphatic point about generals planning 19th Century battles with 20th Century weapons, Stone makes it all the more valid.

[Overseer]

Ladies(?) and Gentlemen,
As with many here, this is my first post (so be gentle) as I provide my first in-put. I would offer up Ernst Jüngers In Stahlgewittern "auf deutsch" or The Storm of Steel in English. A member of a Hannoverian Infantry Regiment (2. Hannoversches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.77) Jünger won the Iron Cross 1st Class on the Somme and the Poure le Merite (Blue Max) for actions as an Infantry Lieutenant on the Western Front.
Both are outstanding descriptions of what is was to live through front line trench actions. While I found the English version very well translated, if you can read it in German some of the things that get "lost in translation" will make more sense.
I await any comments in return, and I hope this added to the dialog.

[tonyp]

I admit, what sparked my interest was watching Beneath Hill 60 on Netflix recently, but I'm working my way through Beneath Flanders Fields: The Tunnellers' War, 1914-1918 by Peter Barton, Peter Doyle, and Johan Vandewalle.

This book is absolutely fascinating. What the authors did that I really enjoy is the book is pieced together with sections from actual letters, diary entries, etc. from both sides. For a topic that could be potentially complex, they include a ton of drawings/diagrams of the mines they explain, along with photos and maps as necessary.

It's digestible enough for the casual reader but contains enough detailed information for the serious researcher.

Highly, highly recommended.

[Attrition]

Millar, J. A Study in the Limitations of Command: General Sir William Birdwood and the AIF, 1914-
1918.


unsworks.unsw.edu.au/fapi/datastream/unsworks:3250/SOURCE01

[Sheldrake]

Achtung Panzer! by Heinz Guderian (1937 - English language translation by Christopher Duffy 1992). This work by the "Father of the Panzer Force" includes a lengthy analysis of the war on the Western Front, his interpretation of why the stalemate came about and the development and use of tanks in the Great War.
http://www.amazon.com/Achtung-Panzer-Ca ... 0304352853