The Great War will never be forgotten but that does not mean that it is
understood. Then as now it was the massive set-piece battles (Somme and
Passchendaele) that are best remembered. But to understand the whole
conflict with its diverse and complex elements the political background,
allegiances and alliances of the combatants and the military thinking of
the time must be grasped.
Philip Warner provides in this fine book the overview necessary to
follow the ambitions and reactions of those involved so enabling the
reader to appreciate the strategies and tactics on the ground. He lists
the main figures who shaped events and comments on their strengths and
failings as well as their significance. Helpfully he describes the end
game, the literature spawned by war and asks "was it avoidable"?
For a full understanding of both the course of the most appallingly
costly war in the history of mankind and its causes and effects this
book is unlikely to be bettered.