The First World War: To Arms (First World War (Oxford Hardcover))

Rating:
Summary: Good...But Not "Definitive" ...not yet.
Review: Hew Strachan was commissioned to write this book to replace C. R. M. F. Cruttwell's 1934 A History of the Great War and it has been anxiously anticipated by scholars. Most reviewers have called it definitive but this is difficult to claim with still two volumes to follow. Given that this book took 15 years to complete, it is doubtful that Strachan himself will ever complete the work. Nevertheless this is a monumental achivement but flawed.

To Arms is an enormous achievment in scholarship. Strachan has utilized all the most recent resources as well as the older material in several different languages. The sythesis of this overwhelming and diverse amount of information into a coherent, pleasurable, and largely unbiased prose is perhaps Strachan's greatest achievment. Strachan covers the year 1914 including the events preceding the war, Anglo-German antagonisms, war plans for all the belligerents, Socialist parties in each country, leaders, and ecnomies. The roles of the leaders, the maneuvers of the armies and navies, and the tangling alliances all receive ample treatment. The virtually unprecedented depth of treatment of the African theater is worth the purchase alone. Both the Eastern and Western Front are covered in some depth as far as the armies and generals are concerned. Strachan has also impressively mangaed to paint the war as a truly global war, and not just a European war. Japan and her war aims are expertly explained. Strachan manages to cover political, economic, social, and military issues while revealing the lack of planning and preparation for war, especially the war aims of the different countries.

There are weaknesses. The typographical eras are numerous enough to become irritating. Expect major revisions on the reissue. The maps that accompmany the book have already been a chief criticism of most reviewers but I must state that they are simply useless and abominable. The importance of operations and command strategy are the chief focus while the individual trials of combat for the soldiers are invisible but these may be covered in the later volumes. Strachan also tends to skim over extremely important areas giving passing treatment to the crucial battle of the Marne and its intricacies preferring to explain it from the generals' views and focusing on the cooperation problems with Sir John French and the BEF with Foch, Joffre, and other French generals. Factual errors are few the only one I can remember is Hitler celebrating the coming war in Vienna when it was actually Munich(also pointed out in the Economist Review).

Despite these problems this book is deserving of the high praise it has received and a worthy read for any First World War scholar. Casual readers and those with only a marginal understanding of the First World War would do well to avoid this book. Strachan assumes a competent level of knowledge of the War from his readers and tends to skim things of standard knowledge.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible scholarhip but the trees do get in the way..
Review: If you are looking for a book that gives a broad overview of the First World War, this is not the book for you. This is the first of a three volume work that will probably become the definitive study of the war. It's over 1100 pages are so full of detail and information that one can only stand in awe of the author's breadth and depth of knowledge on the subject. This volume, in general covers the origins and early phases of the war, except in certain chapters, e.g. on Africa, where he may cover a longer period or the whole war.

He brings out, in depth, aspects of the war that are often forgotten; from the African campaigns to the critical issues around financing and supplying the war. He has drawn on sources from many countries that allow him to give one of the most balanced accounts of this or other conflicts.

However, sometimes in his desire to deliver or show off his incredibly detailed knowledge, there is a tendency to lose track of the forest because of all the trees. Particularly in the financial and industrial mobilization chapters, the sheer weight of information can numb the brain (at least this brain) and important general points can be missed.

A lot of this is made worse by the way data is presented. Other reviewers have commented on the poor quality of the maps. They are of limited value but at least there are some. In the 125 page chapter on "Financing the War" and the over 50 page chapter on "Industrial Mobilization" there is not a single chart or graph, although much of the information would have been appropriately and more clearly presented in graphic form.

Having said that, this is truly a great piece of work. Perhaps in later volumes Strachan can get some more editorial/graphical support to ensure the book the 5 stars it really deserves.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Overall Summary of WWI and the Era
Review: If you had a chance to sit down and discuss the book with the author I am certain that he would be the first person to tell you that this is not the complete story of WWI, and there is still lots of information left out of the book that one can find by reading other books. But considering the size and scope and the 1200 references this book probably comes as close as any to completely describing the start of WWI in a single book, especially as a modern book.

As noted by the author in his introduction, the intent of this first book and the books to follow is to be a replacement or updating of Cruttwell's well known work A History of the Great War published in 1934. The basic idea is to update that work and to include more information and more analysis.

This is the first book - as most readers are aware - of a multi-volume set which is still a work in progress by the author Hew Strachan. Perhaps all three volumes will be 4000 pages or longer when he is finished. He is a well known Oxford professor and war history book writer and editor, especially on the events surrounding World War I. This book is not recommended for someone wanting a quick introduction to the war. There are other books that give a combination of pictures, maps, and text covering the complete war in under 500-700 pages. For example, there are books such as Martin Gilbert and his book The First world War: A Complete History or The First World War by John Keegan. There are others. Also, one can read for example just a map and picture book, or pick another short text only overview book, strategy and troop movement books, and there are books that contain different sorts of analysis such as just the financial impact or the politics, or the naval actions, or just one country's activities. The present book attempts to do it all - cover all the topics military, politics, finance, etc. in a series of thick books - at perhaps at a less detailed level as individual books but with a lot of discussion and analysis. I have been researching of the subject if WWI books and put together a brief albeit incomplete and imperfect list of books that give a sampling of what is on the market and in libraries - 25 books Listmania list.

After reading a number of books on WWI, I still like the book The Western Front by Malcolm Brown from the Imperial War Museum of Books series. That is a quick light read about 300 pages, very engrossing, and gives many insights into what people did, how they acted, and what they thought, especially the participants at a lower level, i.e.: the individual men and women in the battles. It is excellent for a general reader but does not tell the whole story, just the story of the troops. Another excellent book that is a bit different - but with some analysis - is by the former Cambridge and Oxford scholar Norman Stone who has the book The Eastern Front 1914-1917 now out in paperback. That is an excellent book and highly regarded.

Of the map books I like the book by Simon Forty: Historical Maps of World War I. That book contains many interesting maps and photographs including aerial maps taken by intelligence planes during WWI. Forty has more than one book on the market.

I bought about 6 of the WWI books after visiting a number of book stores, mainly the text only books and did not buy any pictorial or strictly maps books. I thought that the present book by Strachan is one of the best current books, perhaps the best. It takes the reader to the next level of general detail and analysis. It is not a quick read and for myself I approached this book as a series of short stories, each one that can be read and digested on its own. Again, it is not just a re-telling of the story of the war. It is a historical analysis. It is not a book that most will buzz through in one or two days. I think it will take most readers at least 1 to 2 weeks straight in one read, reading 100 to 200 pages per day to cover all 1139 pages of text plus the seven page introduction. Although the book is mainly text it does contain 31 maps and a 50 page bibliography - so you can follow or find virtually every important source reference. Some of the other pure maps books have only 150 maps, so this book has quite a few. Also he has an impressive list of 1200 source references to other articles and books. Once you read and digest all this material the book will have transmitted to you a firm grasp of the facts surrounding the war and the politics before the war, if not an expert.

The present book covers the early days of the war, mainly the first year but there are parts of the book that cover longer periods and the author adds a brief analysis of the war at the end of the book in an attempt to bring everything together. As noted by the author and other writers, the lead up to and the first few months of the war were perhaps the most interesting parts of the war, so this book covers in detail many important aspects of the war, and what were the major trends and what was political thinking of the times.

In the book, the author presents a brief introduction and then two sections of 160 pages that covers the build up and political support for the war, going through most of the actions of the political figures, popular press, what others such as thought, i.e.: the madness that engulfed the times. There is a lot of analysis and commentary.

This is followed by a 120 page section on the western front, (almost half the size of Brown's complete book), an 80 page section with maps on the eastern front, then a long two section review of the naval actions, followed by sections on Africa and Turkey.

This is followed by lengthy sections on German strategy, war finances, and war production. Each of these sections is long and detailed, and each part is essentially a small book.

The author does not simply re-tell the story per se. Again, he tries to describe the actions in the context of the times. He references many comments by others from that 1200 article bibliography and he presents and includes a lot of discussion on the dynamics, financing, politics, and the context of the events. The pre-1914 general madness leading up to the war was not unique in historical terms. The author attempts to explain the "madness" and the surrounding events, then the war that followed, and finally to link it to other historical events.

This is an unusual and excellent book that is very well written and the best available on WWI in the current era. The book sets the quality and detail bar at a high level for other authors to attempt to reach in the future. If they want to surpass this book, they will need many resources, time, energy and talent to improve on this book and I assume the other volumes that will follow from Strachan.




Rating:
Summary: The Final Word -- 80 years later
Review: Nothing written on WWI compares to this volume. Before picking up this rather hefty tome, I thought I had a pretty good handle and most of what did and did not happen in the first stages of The Great War and the various theories to explain these events. Strachan, admittedly, presumes such knowledge but then builds on it and expands on it to a degree I have yet to see in the historiography of the period. 1100 pages don't often fly by -- these did -- with only a minimum of skimming.

Rating:
Summary: WOW vol I
Review: Strachen does a magnificent job of analsyzing the events before and leading to the first world war and the events of the first year of the war. he addresses commonly held misconceptions attributable to multiple authories on WW1 including Tuchman, MacDonald and Churchill. he uses many sources, all referenced, from the commanders orders, the political leaders speeches and orders, as well as diaries of the generals and foot soldiers! i dont know where Strachen found the time to write and research such an outstanding accomplishment and there are 2 more to come! the maps could have been better illustrated by showing the movemnts of the armies and corps in their main battles. these 3 books may well wind up being used mainly as a reference unless you love the first war world time period and have the perserverance to read it! i did and i am eagerly awaiting the 2nd and 3rd volumes! kirk vestal md

Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Account of World War I
Review: The first of three volumes by Hew Strachan of the University of Glasgow (and beginning in 2002 holder of the Chichele Chair of Modern History at Oxford University), this brilliant book, indicates that his trilogy, "The First World War," is going to be the definitive overall account of World War I for years to come. Recognizing a weakness in previous histories, Strachan has wisely chosen to emphasize comparative history, and he has drawn extensively on sources in German, French, and English to provide multiple perspectives on the war both at home and at the front. He also goes gives us full accounts not simply of the war in Europe but in Africa, the Pacific, and the Middle East, effectively including some topical chapters within an overall chronological framework. The thrust of "To Arms," the first volume, is a narrative of the origins and the early stages of the Great War. The book features superb descriptions of the diplomatic crises and intellectual justifications for war in 1914, an incisive analysis of Germany's global strategy, and vivid accounts of the early battles on land and sea. Additionally, Strachan provides topical chapters covering several years on the war in Africa and the Pacific, as well as thematic chapters on finance and industrial mobilization. With expert dexterity, Strachan maintains a balance between the large sweep of history and the views and actions of historical actors. The author never loses sight of what is important, and he uses dramatic vignettes and skillful analysis to highlight it. The book includes social and economic developments, but its emphasis is on political and military history, and that makes it rattling good reading. Despite the book's length (1,200 pages), Strachan's extensive research, up-to-date findings, incisive analysis, and lucid prose make reading it both edifying and enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the best now available
Review: This book justifies its imposing length both substantively and with great style. The author covers all aspects of this great and puzzling war -- military, political, and economic -- in a comprehensive and readable way. Avoiding an Anglocentric or even Eurocentric point of view, Mr. Strachan well supports his thesis that this war was a global war with global implications. Mr. Strachan demands attention from the reader, but well rewards that attention with a clear exposition that leaves one in awe not only of his scholarship, but his ability to synthesize so many sources. It is clearly worth the investment not only to purchase, but to read closely and enjoy greatly.

Rating:
Summary: Best available
Review: This is a book that was commissioned some time ago by Oxford Press to be a replacement for a book written in 1934 called a history of the Great War by Crutwell. It is the first of three volumes and it covers the lead up to the war and the first two years.

The book is quite long over 1,000 pages but it is a thorough treatment of the subject. Not only does it cover the diplomatic lead up to the war and the initial campaigns, but it also covers the naval war, financing the war and the problems faced by both sides in producing weapons and munitions.

The book is without doubt the best volume so far written on what is now a rather remote conflict. The reason for this is the partisan nature of previous histories. The First World War saw a number of technical developments including the invention of barbed wire, smokeless powder, the magazine rifle, the machine gun and recoil mechanisms for artillery which enabled battlefields to be engulfed in rapid accurate high explosive and shrapnel fire. These developments favoured the defence. In the confined area of the Western Front battles turned into a form of siege warfare that led to immense numbers of casualties for attacking forces. (The Eastern Front because of the much greater distances operated differently)

Following the war many British Writers such as Hart and Fuller wrote a number of books which shaped our understanding of the war. These histories were in general terms rather simplified schematic and sought to portray the military leaders of mainly the allied powers as dull blockheads who butchered thousands of men with little regard for the cost. It picked out a small number of leaders such as Monash as examples of the doctrines which these authors thought the key to future warfare. This view of things is the basis on which military history of the conflict has relied until recently.

Strachan has only written about a small amount of the actual conflict, but what he has said so far paints a different picture from the normal orthodoxy. To illustrate:

In deciding to go to war Germany faced considerable problems. Although the German High Command believed that their troops were of higher quality than those of the allied powers, it was clear that they were outnumbered because of the potential number of troops that could be mobilised by Russian. The Germans were also aware of the potentiality of new weapons and the changes which favoured the defence. Their planning for war depended on invading Belgium thus avoiding a frontal contact with the French and using the room gained by invading a neutral country to surround and role back the French Army. The initial proposal of this strategy was made in 1906 by Alfred von Schlieffen a member of the German general staff. Histories of the conflict have tended to focus on the Schlieffen plan? as if it was a set in concrete operational plan which was set in concrete. Historians have tended to focus on the German operations in 1914 and suggested the reasons for defeat were because of minor alterations to this ?plan?.

The reality is that in reality there was no such ?plan?. Rather the invasion of Belgium was seen by successive General Staffs as a rational solution of how to overcome the problem of numerical inferiority. Various plans would be brought out depending on the strategic situation as it evolved from 1906 to 1914.

Strachan also attempts to rehabilitate the reputation of Joffre, the French Supreme Commander. Hart and Fuller portrayed him as a fool who rather than examining the reality of war, was obsessed with the notion of the offensive and the importance of the bayonet charge. The French Plan for an offensive into Alscace and Lorraine was portrayed as suicidal nonsense which could only lead to immense casualties because of the invention of the machine gun and magazine rifle. Strachan shows that Joffre?s offensive plans were in fact flexible and rational. In addition it was Joffre who responded to the German attack through Belgium by the manoeuvres which were to become the battle of the Marne and ended in German defeat and the relieving of the German commander Moltke.

This is indeed a fine book. One criticism of it is the maps. The author instead of providing maps with military units displayed with arrows to show their movement, simply has terrain maps and one has to concentrate on the text to work out what has happened. This is slightly annoying but a minor irritation in what is otherwise a fine book.

The discussions also about Naval Strategy, the Shell ?crisis?, the entry of Turkey into the war and the African campaigns are all first class. This is the best book written to date on the war.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This is the first volume of what will be the standard history of WWI. The depth and breadth of scholarship is tremendous. Strachan has mastered the extensive literature in English, German, and French supplemented by appropriate reading of work in other languages. Strachan's essential point is to demonstrate that WWI was indeed a world war involving virtually the whole globe. His perspective is the result of a determined effort to avoid the excessive concentration on the Western Front found in most of the English language and French literature. In this volume, for example, Strachan devotes considerable effort to describing and analyzing the war in sub-saharan Africa. The topic is treated usually as a minor sideshow. Strachan makes the essential point that the labor demands of these campaigns were enormous and affected a large percentage of the population of Africa, justifying easily his extensive treatment of this topic. The book is organized into a hybrid chronological/thematic scheme. Chronological presentation of the prologue to the war and the events of 1914 in Western and Eastern Europe is alternated with thematic presentation of topics like the war in the North Sea, financing of the war, and industrial mobilization for war. The method of organization works well. Strachan is a good writer and this thick book proceeds smoothly. I agree with other reviewers that the maps are inadequate. I wish also that the bibliography was annotated. Regardless, this book is and its successors will be remarkable works of scholarship.

Rating:
Summary: Great text, lousy graphics
Review: Yes, this is THE history of WW1. I have no complaints about the text.

However, it is seriously flawed because of its third-rate maps. There ARE maps, but they only show cities, towns, borders, railroads, and rivers. There are no symbols for armies, no arrows showing movements, not even little crossed-sword symbols to show battle sites. And some of the locations mentioned in the text are not shown on the maps, so at times you are really left clueless.

And, no photos. 1200 pages of text and no pictures!!!!

There are solutions. For maps, Arthur Banks' Military Atlas of the First World War is an essential companion to this book. For photos, there are several illustrated histories of WW1 (including one by Strachan)....