World War I (DK Eyewitness Books) [Hardcover]

Simon Adams (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: DK Eyewitness Books

New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

Here is an original and exciting guide to the grim challenge of life or death on the Western Front. Devastating first-hand reports and contemporary photographs of the battles that slaughtered millions, together with a clear account of how nation upon nation sent their men to join the carnage, combine to present a dramatic "eyewitness" view of this most terrible war. See the bullet-riddled car of the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, everyday life in the dugout, sappers mining tunnels beneath the enemy, and Mata Hari learning the art of spying. Learn how people avoided gas attacks, when periscopes were used, what soldiers wrote home to their sweethearts and mothers, the best way to use a tank, how troops flattened a hillside, and the meaning of Armistice Day. Discover how it felt to go over the top, what happened to all the bodies, how people dealt with shell shock, why war led to revolution, and much, much more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Many gruesome images of casualties become less sobering when one notices that they're photographs of re-creations from London's Imperial War Museum, stills from fictional movies or posed scenarios for training purposes. Still, Simon Adams's Eyewitness: World War I, part of an extensive Eyewitness series, provides an informative, picture-and-caption history lesson. Countless actual photos of trench life, tanks, rifles, uniforms, airplanes, artificial trees (for artillery observation posts) and other battle equipment and behavior are featured along with the re-creations.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-12. Packed with photos on every double-page spread and dense with facts and snippets of analysis, this large-size volume in the Eyewitness series provides a quick, informative overview of WWI: how it started; who fought and why; the equipment used; what it was like in the trenches and at home; the horrific final cost. Even seasoned Web browsers accustomed to busy formats may sometimes feel bombarded by all the bits and pieces, especially when the tiny type is printed over colored pictures. It's the dramatic photos (many from London's Imperial War Museum) that will make readers pause and bring them close to the soldiers' experiences. Then there's John Singer Sargent's realistic painting Gassed, showing blinded soldiers led by their sighted colleagues toward a dressing station in northern France in 1918. For more reading suggestions, see the Read-alikes column, "The War to End All Wars" [BKL N 1 01]. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN (August 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075660740X
• ISBN-13: 978-0756607401
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 0.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,244,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference!, January 15, 2004

By 

IMM "spudtwin2" (Malta, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyewitness: World War I (Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

This book really brought World War I to life. I was surprised at how little I really knew about this war. This may be billed as a kid's book, but people of all ages will enjoy it. It's a great source for learning a lot about the war in a short period of time. The entire Eyewitness series is worth checking out.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, June 7, 2009

By 

book lover (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: World War I (DK Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

I bought this for my 7 year old son. He loved it!!, He loves to read about all the different wars, and this series has everything. The pictures are great, and it gives alot of info. I highly recommend it, and all of the books in this series.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Photos, not much else, July 26, 2009

By 

Alan Dale Daniel (Carson City, Nevada, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: World War I (DK Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

History is fun, and photos help a person understand the past. Thus, I enjoy photos, because I analyze them in detail. Using a magnifying glass I actually look closely to spot interesting items normally unseen by the casual reader. Since I have done some intel analysis in the past, based on photos, I know good photos tell a story about what is going on. However, a book needs to be more than good photos. Unfortunately that is about all one really finds in this book. The text is extremely abbreviated, so much so it is nearly irrelevant. And that is the problem. History tells a great story; however, a few blurbs do not a story make -- at least not a good story.

These books are designed to get teenagers interested in the subject matter (I think), but even teenagers need a good story line. The short passages in this book are not adequate to convey a story.

Thus, two stars.

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