The First World War

Rating:
Summary: A good place to start
Review: My knowledge of history has been fading fading fast since my last class in high school, and I'd like to correct this. I found Keegan's book to be almost the ideal level of detail for someone who knew next to nothing about WWI. He interweaves detailed accounts of what units were where, who was in command, how the battles went; with more subjective details like comments on how things were drawn from soldier's letters and diaries, descriptions of the personalities of the leadership, the layout and brief history of the area. He gives an excellent account of the political situation leading up to the war. I would have liked to see an additional chapter at the end detailing the results of the war, the treaty of Versailles, and so on, especially given Keegan's thesis that WWI is important because it set the board for WWII. I also had some trouble keeping track of what unit was being talked about and what commander was in charge of what unit, but this would probably be more familiar to someone in the habit of reading military history. I will definitely read more of his books in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Portrays titanic size and futility of WW1
Review: Separated as we are from the Great War by an even greater war, we can lose sight of its enormity. Keegan's opening and closing chapters vividly portray the vast opening battles of maneuver and the awful cost in life. By comparison, its middle chapters seem muddy and bogged down, but this catchphrase would, in a nutshell, describe the First World War.

Rating:
Summary: Perceptive, concise presentation of a world-shaking event.
Review: Such a good book! Thank goodness for people like John Keegan, with the perspective and perception to boil these events down from 10,000 pages to 475, and still track all the threads. Particularly impressive is the presentation of the war in the middle east, with the Gallipoli Campaign and the contribution of the Arab Army under Hussain of Mecca considered in true relation to their effects on the overall situation. This book needs to be required reading anyone at any level, strategic or tactical, who must send children into battle. The foregoing good stuff notwithstanding, the carping by other reviewers about scarcity of maps is justified. I can imagine John Keegan writing in 100 maps, and the publisher insisting on not more than 5 maps, and the final total of 17 maps pleasing no one. Still, it's an ill wind! Now, we can look forward to a 2nd. edition with a "slip case" at the back cover, containing a CD with two large scale beautiful full-color maps of Europe and the Middle East, one in 1913, one in 1925, with overlays for all the campaigns, and naming all the towns, cities and locations referred to in the text. One small request for the next edition (even if it doesn't have the CD): Some latitiude and longitude tics on the endpaper maps, and at least one latitude and longitude tic on each of the campaign/battle maps, would be of immense help in tying together the geography. Thanks, John Keegan, for a powerful lesson and a great book.

Rating:
Summary: Great history about the great war
Review: The First World War chronicles the events of World War One including some of the major causes, significant events during the war and ending with the American involvement and the Bolshevik revolution. Keegan guides the reader through the most important events during this time period, supplied by page after page of useful information in an understandable and entertaining format.
Keegan provides an in depth look at the Schlieffen Plan devised by the Germans, the French equivalent Plan XVII as well as an explanation of the treaties that bound the Allies and Central powers together. He reveals the forethought used by all the nations of Europe towards the impending war they knew would happen sooner or later. Keenan's style of writing allows the reader to easily follow the chronological events, especially the crucial days after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. His labeling of the chapters and inclusion of subchapters keeps the readers interest and allows a seamless transition from battle to battle.
For any novice on World War One or of this time period, the information provided is sufficient to give the reader an understanding of what propelled the first major world conflict that many considered the "war to end all wars". It is a good introduction to some of the most famous events: Verdun in 1916, Gallipoli, Somme, the Russian revolt, and the German gamble of unrestricted submarine warfare that lead to the entrance of the United States into the war. Although these events are the most famous, Keegan also covers lesser known incidents that would have an effect on the outcome. For example battles in Northern Italy and Serbia, the various entries of Bulgaria, Romania, and The Ottoman Turks into the war as well as fighting in the African colonies and the struggle for freedom in Finland. Keegan's detailed explanation of the battlefield terrain and troop movements, used in conjunction with the clearly drawn maps, provides a clear view of each battle. He also paints a vivid picture of each engagement such as the trenches filling with water and soldier's actually drowning or later in the essay he quotes one of the soldiers who explains how defenseless he was when the infantry assaulted their position after hours shelling rendered him unable to function or fight. Concise footnotes are also included to provide extra information without confusing the reader.
Throughout the essay, Keegan eludes to the involvement of personnel who would become major influences during the Second World War: the little known private in the 8th Bavarian Regiment who would become Chancellor in 1933, Adolf Hitler, Erwin Rommel who was a Lieutenant and Winston Churchill, who is the First Lord of the Admiralty during this time.
While this is not a complete account of the First World War, Keegan's goal was to inform the reader of the events in the First World War which set the stage for what many believe to be its continuation, World War Two. His submission accomplishes the task with a style that entertains and enlightens the reader. Keegan provides detailed information without the endless list of statistics or useless facts detracting from an excellent story.


Rating:
Summary: A Great Book about the Great War
Review: The First World War is another great Keegan book, and a must read for anyone who wishes to have deeper knowledge of that cataclysmic event. Some fascinating insights: WWI represents a dividing line in history, and much more than the events that preceded it, WWI is responsible for shaping the world order of the last 90 years; this truly was a global war with campaigns in Africa and Asia; though the terrible nature of trench warfare is well-known, Keegan's descriptions of the realities of the life of a WWI soldier are indispensable. If you are interested in military history, you won't be disappointed by John Keegan.

Rating:
Summary: A good prelude
Review: World War I is actually the beginning of World War II, and it amazes me how little attention this conflict receives. Keegan is enamored by The Great War (his father was in the British Army), and it shows. As an overview to an initiate, the tome succeeds admirably. The author begins by attacking the diplomatic disaster which parcipitated the conflict. Each personality is critiqued and criticized with literary zeal. I particuraly liked Keegan's description of a crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, the war itself takes center stage, and everything from opening manuevers of the Schleiffen Plan, to trench stalemate, and the final German offensive in 1918 are described in detail. Perhaps this detail will be too light for a grognard, but it IS a general history. I really enjoyed Keegan's fair treatment of Russia's armies underrated performance against the Germans (post Tannenburg until The Revolution). Are there problems? Well, maps are scarce. This fact does not hinder enjoyment of the book, but does leave alot to the imagination. Beyond that, I find little wrong with it. If you do not know much about this period, I believe it is an excellent prelude to prepare the reader for a better understanding of a much neglected period of 20th Century history.