The Great War and the Twentieth Century [Hardcover]

Jay Winter (Editor), Geoffrey Parker (Editor), Mary Habeck (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2000

World War I, the first "total war" in history, set in motion profound changes in the economics, demographics, and philosophies of the warring states. In this book, leading experts on the Great War discuss its causes, character, and legacy. Their writings show that to study World War I is to encounter not only the dissolution of the four defeated empires -- Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey -- but also the collapse of the optimistic assumption of progress that had defined the nineteenth century. The analysis of the Great War, in fact, provides an essential framework for our understanding of the entire twentieth century. The book draws together military history, international history, and cultural history to offer a wide-ranging summary of current knowledge and debate regarding the First World War.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Despite the passage of eight decades, there are numerous unresolved historical controversies regarding World War I; they include disputes over causes, conducts, and the legacy of the conflict. This anthology of essays does not "settle" these controversies; rather^B, it illuminates them. Michael Howard goes against the current grain by asserting both the political and moral necessity for the Allied victory. William C. Fuller suggests that a German victory could have prevented the rise of both Nazism and Bolshevism. Leonard V. Smith offers some intriguing insights into the mindset of mutinous soldiers in the trenches. For specialists and readers with good knowledge of the period, these essays are bound to inform and to stimulate further discussion. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Jay Winter is reader in modern history at Cambridge University. Geoffrey Parker is professor of history at Ohio State University. Mary R. Habeck is assistant professor of history at Yale University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 366 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (November 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300081545
• ISBN-13: 978-0300081541
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,994,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Story of Europe's attempt at Suicide (What a waste!), July 3, 2005

By 

D. D Lawson (Pasadena, Calif. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great War and the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

A good solid book about the madness that over took Europe and how Europe has lost its place as a major power because of this.We are still living with the damage caused by this war. Good to go!