Cassell Military Classics: The Swordbearers: Supreme Command In The First World War [Paperback]

Correlli Barnett (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cassell Military Paperbacks | Publication Date: June 30, 2000

Four of the most important World War I commanders-in-chief helped determine its outcome--and, by extension, the course of the 20th century. Here are the stories of Colonel-General von Molke, who attempted to defeat France in a mere 6 weeks; Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, who struggled unsuccessfully to crush the German High Sea Fleet; General Pétain, whose inaction led the French troops to mutiny; and General Ludendorff, who mounted a titanic German offensive...that failed.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Correlli Barnett is a distinguished military historian and the author of several non-fiction titles. In 1970 he won the Royal Society of Literature Award for Britain and her Army. He has been historical consultant to three BBC Television series, including The Great War (1964) which he part wrote. In 1980 he was appointed the first Defence Lecturer in the University of Cambridge.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (June 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0304352837
• ISBN-13: 978-0304352838
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,811,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and Intelligent Review of Key Leaders, August 2, 2005

By 

A reader (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cassell Military Classics: The Swordbearers: Supreme Command In The First World War (Paperback)

"Swordbearers" is an excellent look at four of the key military personalities in WWI as well as the political and cultural background in France, the UK and Germany. I was especially impressed by the section dealing with Jellicoe, Jutland, and Barnett's provocative hypotheses regarding the decline of the British Navy. His argument that the Navy had fallen behind technologically, in tandem with British industry in general, is extremely astute and thought-provoking. (It also meshes with Barnett's other later writing about the decline of Britain as a world power.) While the book does date from 1963, as another reviewer has noted, I would place it on the same high level as "The Guns of August," another work of similar vintage which still remains a potent read forty years later.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, November 10, 2008

By 

V. G. Wilson (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cassell Military Classics: The Swordbearers: Supreme Command In The First World War (Paperback)

Along with The Guns of August, this book influenced my perception of World War I more than any other. It should be stated that this is a study of supreme command during that war, and not a view from the trenches. If you want to understand how such a calamity could have occurred, however, and the thinking of those who steered it, this is the place to start. Barnett unleashes a devastating military and psychological study of these 4 leaders, and lays bare their misguided intentions and inability to grasp the true situation. No other book I know of lays it out this well. One of the best books on the subject in extant.

7 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not up to standard anymore!, September 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Cassell Military Classics: The Swordbearers: Supreme Command In The First World War (Paperback)

This book is simply a reissue of the 1963 edition, and it's really a pity that the publisher has decided to re-print such a flawed and bias account of the main antagonists in WWI.

There is no clear line of argument and attempt to characterise each general. To me it seemed that the author was jumping around all over the place. Particular annoying are the references to WWII, which don't really underline any of the arguments brought forward.

The sketchy characterisation of the "swordbearers" does not warrant the title of the book, since for lengthy passages the book dwells on the larger events and then halfheartedly tries to return to its intended objective.