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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
A great book! Not often do you find military history books actually well written, but this one is. If you are at all interested in the subject matter, and you should be because the history in this book is still relevant in modern times, give it a go. I found my understanding of the timeline of 20th century history as well as modern socio-political dynamics improved.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
After 2.5 years I have finally finished this epic. Of course it's impossible to absorb everything, and I think the greatest advantage going into this book would be an understanding of European geography (which I sorely lack), but the way that it intersperses the chronological chapters with background chapters to give you context makes it incredibly readable and digestible. I tabbed a lot of pieces that I want to research further and was consistently horrified by the sheer loss of life and general mutilation. But overall this was a fantastic, very comprehensive account of WWI. Chilling but necessary to understand history.
I think Americans often give the First World War short shrift. Even as somebody with a strong interest in history, I've often glossed over it. I wanted to rectify that and decided to read this book to give me a good overview. It really fit the bill. I knew a lot of the basics but this book really connected the dots in exactly the way I was hoping it would. Understandably, it focuses mostly on the military side of the conflict, while providing some detail about the political and social implications. The narrative is very strong and Meyer gives the reader a good sense of the enormity of the war. Also, at the end of each chapter is a section that highlights an individual or group of individuals to give you more insight--sometimes it's about a person, or people, or about the role of women during the war, etc. It's a nice touch.
Bottom line: if you're looking for an excellent and well-written overview of WWI, this is one of your best options.
Bottom line: if you're looking for an excellent and well-written overview of WWI, this is one of your best options.
A big book with a large scope, yet still an easy and entertaining read.
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Great overview of WW1, would highly recommend. As expected there were many parts I would have liked to see more details on, but the goal of this book was not that. The First World War not only led to the Second World War...but started much of the roots of the conflicts and politics we see today. A very important read and reminder.
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Meyer’s retelling of WW1 will provide all of the necessary information concerning the course of the war, while adding some personal details within each background section.