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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
My first experience with Robin sachs narrating a G. J. Meyer book was "The Tudors." I was so pleased with it, I decided to try another of their collaberations and I am glad I did. "A World Undone" is a terrific book that covers World War I very differently from other works. Just as in "The Tudors", Meyers alternates chapters of narration and background. For example, the first background chapter is on the Serbs. It is a look at the history of the Serbs as a people as well as their recent history that lead to the events of 1914. The story as a whole makes more sense when the reader understands all the pieces. As always, Robin Sachs does an excellent job of narrating the book. It truly saddens me to know that his wonderful voice is now silent.
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
A well-written, well-organized book that explains the events of WWI in a straightforward fashion (or as straightforwardly as one can about an insane, horrific, inexplicable thing). The background chapters were a perfect way to explain people and events that otherwise didn't fit easily into the narrative.
This isn't a book that goes deep-diving, but it works well as a single volume explanation of the war.
This isn't a book that goes deep-diving, but it works well as a single volume explanation of the war.
Unquestionably the best book on World War I out there. G.J. Meyer's "A World Undone" isn't just an up close, comprehensive look at The Great War but it's also likely to be the most readable account of it that you'll find. Perhaps what I liked most of all is that following each chapter is a brief but satisfying look at a particular figure or player in the great world. The look into the Ottoman Empire was particular fascinating, as was the "real" story of the man who came to be known as Lawrence of Arabia.
I took my time reading through this 1,000+ page book - generally reading a chapter before bed. Though getting through it ended up taking me about a month and a half, it made for very easy, enjoyable reading.
If you're a World War I or military buff I highly recommend "A World Undone." If you know absolutely nothing about World War I then I recommend it even more. The research G.J. Meyer put into this brilliant compilation of the horrors and destruction of The Great War was clearly exhaustive, however you'll feel anything but exhausted reading it.
I took my time reading through this 1,000+ page book - generally reading a chapter before bed. Though getting through it ended up taking me about a month and a half, it made for very easy, enjoyable reading.
If you're a World War I or military buff I highly recommend "A World Undone." If you know absolutely nothing about World War I then I recommend it even more. The research G.J. Meyer put into this brilliant compilation of the horrors and destruction of The Great War was clearly exhaustive, however you'll feel anything but exhausted reading it.
Meyer does an excellent job giving background about various aspects about the war, including the different empires and cultures, the technological and economic conditions, everyday life and a host of other very interesting concepts that are often omitted or forgotten.
Really good narration. The author presents information in a nice structured manner as side-chapters. These side-chapters serve to describe the various aspects and entities involved in the war as well as the pre and post war. Their placement, peppered between the main "plot" of the book (about the armies struggling on the battlefields and the mind games of politicians and army commanders) instead of at the beginning or ending, makes it so that the readers are not overburdened with knowledge before the book starts or after it ends.
There is a lot of details that the author presents, like number of casualties in every battle, the blunders of army-chiefs, the what-ifs, but it never gets confusing or overwhelming.
Solid book for anyone who wants to learn about the (not so) Great War.
There is a lot of details that the author presents, like number of casualties in every battle, the blunders of army-chiefs, the what-ifs, but it never gets confusing or overwhelming.
Solid book for anyone who wants to learn about the (not so) Great War.
In the summer of 2014, as articles in the newspaper began to reflect on the 100th anniversary of the Great War, I recognized how little I understood about it. So far, A World Undone has been the best book I have read on the subject. It is a brilliant and informative review of the great war. I was repeatedly shocked and alarmed by the "Background" sections that were interspersed between the chapters. I highly recommend it as a general introduction.
I read this book at the suggestion of a coworker. I am not a history buff, nor a WW1 buff. But this book interesting to read and I know a lot more about the subject than when I went in. I liked that the book told who was involved, their motivations, their background, and where things were happening in a digestible narrative manner that made often dry subjects easier to read. I highly recommend this to anyone that wants to know more about World War 1.