How the War Was Won: Command and Technology in the British Army on the Western Front: 1917-1918 [Hardcover]

T. H. E. Travers (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415076285 | ISBN-13: 978-0415076289 | Publication Date: June 25, 1992

This important and sometimes controversial book explains what part the British Expeditionary Force played in bringing the First World War to an end. Tim Travers shows in detail how an Allied victory was achieved. He focuses on the British Army on the Western Front in relation to the themes of command and technology , drawing on a wide range of sources from archives in three countries. The book provides new arguments about the origins of mechanical warfare, the role of Douglas Haig, and the near-collapse of the German army by July 1918. Tim Travers argues that, despite poor leadership, the British army ultimately wore its opponent down by using increasing amounts of technology. Complex and detailed information is presented in a clear and readable form. An introductory paragraph at the beginning of each chapter, combined with numerous maps and photos, also makes the book particularly useful for students.

Editorial Reviews

Review

' ... a welcome companion to Travers's The Killing Ground ...' – International History Review

' ... How The War Was Won will be a valuable reference document for anyone studying the final phases of the Great War.' – British Army Review

About the Author

T.H.E. Travers is Professor of History at the University of Calgary

Product Details

• Hardcover: 268 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (June 25, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415076285
• ISBN-13: 978-0415076289
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 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: #3,794,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true understanding of World War I may be impossible without this volume, May 4, 2008

By 

David W. Lang "David Lang at Advance Book Review" (Santa Clara CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: HOW THE WAR WAS WON (Pen & Sword Military Classics) (Paperback)

Many books have evaluated the role of the British Expeditionary Force in winning the First World War, and all such studies have, of course, centered on the performance of Douglas Haig. How the War was Won: Factors that Led to Victory in World War I by Tim Travers follows this convention, but Travers adds the factor of burgeoning and frightful technology to the performance of Haig and the BEF, and he then asks the question, "When were the Germans really beaten?"

Travers examines his issues in a calm, clear manner, and the final result is one of the more intelligent and articulate evaluations of the war we have seen. His conclusion, to put it in its most simple, perhaps reductive, form, is that the Germans were worn out by Allied technology--and the war was, in fact, over for the Germans long before they and the British realized it.

Each chapter of the book contains an introductory paragraph which the back cover claims makes the book "particularly useful for students." This is quite true, but it is not only new students who benefit: Even the more knowledgeable reader cannot help being impressed by the quality of summaries found in these opening paragraphs. His assessment of the difficulties at Passchendaele in the first chapter is marvelously economical.

This is a reprint of a volume originally published in 1992. Highly praised when it first appeared, it remains essential to our understanding of the war