The First World War

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: An utterly engrossing, detailed account of WWI, especially for those who are not full-time students of the topic. As the narrative unfolds in its interested, quiet manner, the overwhelming tragedy of the conflict emerges.

My only complaint is related to the maps. First, there are not enough of them. Second, they are dispersed randomly throughout the text, so that readers must maintain a thumb at the most recent map. In future editions they should be located at the beginning for easy reference. Third and finally, there is a lack of synchronization between the maps and the text. Locations named in the text very often are not displayed in the corresponding map. Quite a few minutes are lost searching the maps for this town or that forest when they aren't labeled.

Rating:
Summary: Easy reading history of WWI
Review: John Keegan does a great job compiling a readable history of WWI. I did not realize that the US involvement in WWI was so relatively inconsequential from a military viewpoint and so important from a psychological viewpoint. Of course, Great Britain gets most of the credit for the victory from this resident of England. Rightfully so. I am now looking for a parallel history from the US viewpoint. One gets the impression that if the French would have just gotten out of the way and the American involvement started earlier we could have finished this war with a lot less bloodshed and perhaps prevented WWII.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent and very readable
Review: If you were to look at the world around you and ask yourself what is the event that most influenced society as we know it, it would be hard to look past the first world war.
That is why I was keen to read an account that could encapsulate most of the important narrative of the war in one book, a near impossible task but one which John Keegan manages to pull off in this book imo.
The key to the success of this book is in its impartiality; too many history books, particularly those relating to war, where nationalism is a factor, are guilty of this academic travesty yet Keegan rarely if ever strays and the battles given the most coverage are generally those most pertinent to the overall outcome of the war, thus eastern and western fronts are given equal exposure.
Of course Keegan does give his own interpretations at times on topics where no definitive answer is possible, such as why a society as affluent as early 20th C Europe could allow itself to fall into such an abyss at a time of relative prosperity and also the accountablity of the actions of those in high command in the slaughter of a whole generation.
The main flaw in the book that I can think of is it's lack of backround information on artillery; Keegan time an again refers to the importance of artillery in the shaping of this war as opposed to those preceding it yet his descriptions of the types of guns used are brief with little background knowledge so that we aren't really sure how these technologies came to be and what exactly opposing sides were using in the destruction of whole regiments, battalions and in some instances of unparalleled horror, whole armies.
Still, in the overall context of this book it is a minor flaw and certainly doesn't overshadow the thoroughness of his piecing together of four years of world warfare; such is the gratuitousness of battles such as Paschaendaele that I doubt I would want to delve any further into the goings on in those blood soaked fields of 1914-18.
This is more than just a solid account, it is a comprehensive one.

Rating:
Summary: Conventional Wisdom
Review: Keegan is a very fine historian and this is fairly representative of his work. Avid World War One buffs will find very little new here, but it is a good overview of the facts of the conflict. I sense that there is a, not surprising, tendency by modern historians to break new ground in their research. Why else publish a new work on this well-known story? This book does not do that. It does give a very good one volume recap for the casual historian or lay reader that needs to know the rough outlines of the issues surrounding the war. Keegan's writing is elegant and authoritive and there is little here to criticize in his interpretation or treatment of the facts.

Rating:
Summary: Different Style But Same Outstanding Analysis
Review: John Keegan is this era's best-known and probably greatest military historian. Keegan burst into the American public's consciousness with his best-selling "The Second World War." The book made Keegan a household name among military buffs in this country as he was in his native U.K.

"The First World War" is an excellent account of the military, diplomatic, and political events leading up to and during the "war to end all wars." World War I book and documentary coverage lags far behind WW II because archival footage of the first conflict pales in comparison to the events from 1939-1945. The fact that WWI was mostly concentrated in the European arena instead of being a truly global conflict also has led to reduced coverage. Of course, World War II is also 25 years closer to our time and encompassed far greater destruction in terms of material and lives lost.

However, as the "First World War" makes clear, the importance of World War I to history cannot be underestimated. Of course, the fact that the unresolved problems caused by WW I led to World War II -- and in particular, a bitter German soldier with a grudge by the name of Adolf Hitler -- is well known to historians. What is less well known is that the trauma and pain inflicted on the participants -- particularly France -- had repercussions for decades. Germany would slip into the control of a demented madman; Russia would fall to the Bolsheviks; the British Empire would begin to have cracks for the first time; and France would in many respects never be the same again.

The French people and France are covered extensively in "The First World War." Keegan takes an in-depth look at the actual and psychological trauma that losing so many young men in the trenches of Europe caused to the French psyche. This is a country that essentially fought the Germans to a stalemate for 4 years, yet only 20 years later, would fold within 6 weeks in World War II. So many young French women were widowed, and so many potential husbands were lost among the French youth, that the demographic imbalance from the war continued to affect France half a century later. The trauma of losing so many good young men -- in what became a stalemate over non-moving trench lines that mostly served as target practice -- probably also explains France's post-World War II go-it-alone strategy that continues to this day, the only such attitude among any of the 5 permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

"The First World War" is not like Keegan's earlier book on WW II. It suffers from a lack of maps, though the lack of troop movement in the earlier conflict renders any maps more difficult as they tend to be localized. The book focuses more on the personal experiences of individual infantrymen and the attitudes of various countries comprising the Allies and the Central Powers. The chapter dealing with the diplomatic entanglement that led to the conflict, "The Crisis of 1914", is excellent and perhaps the best diplomatic overview of how a world war started that none of the antagonists wanted. Keegan's military genius is also useful in explaining the logistics of trench warfare and the inability of the primitive communications systems to keep up with what was happening at the front in real time. We take this for granted today in the age of cell phones and GPS, but in 1915 delays of a few minutes to a few hours were all to common to finding out what was transpiring a few miles ahead. Needless to say, countless errors were made costing tens of thousands of lives. Finally, Keegan covers all of the prevailing military doctrines of that time, including the Schlieffen Plan, the German thrust that was to bypass French fortifications by cutting through Belgium.

More photos of the destruction of heavy artillery when used at close range could have been included. Keegan does a good job describing the damage to forests, foliage, and terrain but it might have added color to the sections describing the deep psychological damage done to young infantrymen during hours of bombardment. Finally, the uneven rough pages with "old texture" takes a while to get used to, though it added a bit of authenticity and air to the accounts of some 80 years ago.

"The First World War" is a worthy successor to Keegan's other military tomes and only disappoints when compared to his masterful analysis of World War II.


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: 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: 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 very detailed book of The Great War
Review: Mr. Keegan, an English author, has put a lot of information in this book. Honestly, it may seem a little dry, but if you desire to learn about this unfortunate war, this book can help. Mr. Keegan opens with an excellent first paragraph, explaining that "when the guns at last fell silent four years later, a legacy of political rancour and racial hatred so intense that no explanation of the causes of the Second World War can stand without reference to those roots." He follows with the second chapter called "War Plans" and details pre war preparation and Germany's Schlieffen Plan. This book focuses on the total war. So both the eastern and western front, and also the war at sea are all covered in detail. Mr. Keegan even covers the Russian revolt and the last Tsar.
Overall this is a decent book written by a decent Historian.