World War I [Paperback]

S. L. A. Marshall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2001 | Series: An American Heritage Book

A "full-dress history of the war by one of our most distinguished military writers" (NEW YORK TIMES), WORLD WAR I takes us from the first shots in Sarajevo to the signing of the peace treaty in Versailles and through every bunker, foxhole, and minefield in between. General S.L.A. Marshall drew on his unique firsthand experience as a soldier and a lifetime of military service to pen this forthright, forward-thinking history of what people once believed would be the last great war. Newly introduced by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, David M. Kennedy, WORLD WAR I is a classic example of unflinching military history that is certain to inform, enrich, and deepen our understanding of this great cataclysm.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Far and away the best, most concise, and clearest one-volume history of the war to end all wars."

The Denver Post

About the Author

Brigadier General S.L.A. Marshall (1900-1977) was an accomplished journalist, a war correspondent, and a historian. One of the preeminent American military writers of our time, he wrote more than thirty books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (March 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618056866
• ISBN-13: 978-0618056866
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #462,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview, April 19, 2002

By 

zar1969 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: World War I (Paperback)

Mr. Marshall has written an excellent overview of WWI - an overview is all this book is, though. It is important to keep in mind that any book, which attempts to examine one of the most complex conflicts in human history on less than 500 pages, will have to be brief. Consequently, the book is best used as a study, which offers a sense of structure of the events between 1914 and 1918. As a source of information on particular events, may they be political or military, the book is incomplete.

Mr. Marshall's study is a valuable source for establishing a broad sense of the sequence of events. The interlocking of state policies is described with captivating simplicity. The first chapter, which examines the political climate of Europe leading up to the war, manages to present a convincing, if simplistic, narrative about the forces, which chose the path of armed confrontation over diplomacy and negotiation. Subsequent chapters chart the different stages of the conflict, spanning from 1914 to 1918 and shifting between the hills of Verdun and the peaks of Kilimanjaro. The different campaigns are described schematically and their most important themes and considerations are highlighted at the expense of more obscure factors. Given the complexity of the war, Mr. Marshall's ability to impose structure on the events is a rather praiseworthy achievement.

Another commendable quality of Mr. Marshall's work is his literary style. Unlike many historical studies, this book is actually very readable. The author has an excellent sense of rhythm and a pleasant ratio of seriousness and irony. A favorite passage dealing with the early stages of the trench war describes how the shell shortage forced the British to "...mark time on the Aisne while Germans fortified. The French followed suit so that they might live longer, and the novelty, while offensive to their doctrine, swiftly became a habit" (page 127)

If I have anything critical to say about this book, it will be about the analysis of the conflict as a series of chess moves. Mr. Marshall traces most events back to the intentions of a single individual (may these intentions be correct or erroneous). This desire to rationalize the development of the war in terms of the influence of the individual political and military figures does not capture the chaotic atmosphere of the period.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that Mr. Marshall has compiled an overview of WWI, which affords an excellent structure of the conflict. If you want to understand the basics of this crucial point in world history, this compendium is for you. If you are looking for an in-depth analysis, it probably will not carry the title "World War I" but something more like "The First Marne". As Charles Jenks once wrote: "You cannot blame a donkey for being a bad sort of horse."

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece., July 16, 2006

By 

Bernard Chapin "Ora Et Labora!" (CHICAGO! USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: World War I (Paperback)

Just consider for a moment the logistical nightmare that writing a book no longer than 500 pages about the First World War is, and then reflect on how much more difficult this task would be should the narrator have to make the text memorable and brilliantly descriptive as well; once you've done this, you will quickly understand just how special S.L.A. Marshall's concise, flavorful, and skilled accounting of the happenings of supposed War to End all Wars actually is. For a career soldier, the general penned an unexpectedly engaging work filled with highly original metaphors and colorful prose. This is human conflict at its very worst, and the errors committed both politically and militarily will manage to astound the previously uninformed. The lack of concern on the parts of Joffre, Falkenhayn, and Haig for their men is absolutely indecent. It tells us so much about how mindless acts of masochism like the planned battles of Verdun and the Somme in fact were--by comparison, the great majority of the general staff decisions of the Second World War appear logically consistent. This brings me to my oft repeated point that the best history is that which is indistinguishable from psychology in its conveyance of personality along with cause and effect. When juxtaposed alongside their nation's elite, Petain and Lloyd George are paragons of mental health as they are able to easily recognize the reality before their faces. If only everyone else did the same then maybe the slaughter could have ended in 1916. Alas!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Objective Look at World War I, October 6, 2007

By 

Edward P. Matos "edmatos52" (Laredo, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: World War I (Paperback)

S. L. A. Marshall wrote more than thirty books on military history and warfare during his life-time; "World War I" may be one of his best books on "the war to end all wars." Marshall writes with authority and clarity, his research is well documented, and his writing is objective.

Marshall begins by describing how one terrible event: the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, on 28 June 1914, set off a chain of events that engulfed the world in a war of attrition. But Marshall goes further into that event by exploring the possible underlying causes of World War I.

"World War I" covers military and political leaders, the economics of running a war, military strategy, weaponry, and even war manufacturing plants and their importance in waging war. Marshall clearly depicts what awaited the soldiers of the Entente and Central Powers, the lethal ground bombing, the introduction of poison gas, the relatively new and deadly machine-gun, tanks, and all the diseases that were part of trench warfare. Marshall writes that "after only five months of fighting, there were more than one and a half million dead, wounded, or captured on both sides". The author also covers military campaigns from the disastrous British attack at the Somme to the monumental French defense at Verdun.

The book clearly describes the horrors of war; the carnage of human life which Marshall attributed to reckless actions and irrational thinking by military leaders on both sides. Marshall gives readers some important background on some of the heroes and villains of the war; he looks at the personalities of such Entente leaders as Georges Clemenceau, Ferdinand Foch, Lloyd George, Douglas Haig, "Black Jack" Pershing, and Woodrow Wilson. Next, he tackles leaders of the Central Power; among them, Conrad von Hötzendorf, Erich von Falkenhayn, Paul von Hindenburg, and Wilhelm Ludendorff. Marshall describes Germany's effort to recruit Mexico as their ally against the United States with the infamous Zimmermann Telegram. The author takes a brief look at Alvin York, the American soldier who fought bravely in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France.

A great deal of Marshall's books focuses on the war in Europe and rightfully so, since the United States did not enter the war until April 1917, but as with the European campaigns, Marshall writes objectively of America's political and military participation including their successes and failures. Marshall dedicates his final chapters to the surrender of the Central Powers - especially Germany, even covering a disgruntled Corporal from the German army by the name of Adolf Hitler. Marshall again speaks objectively about the Treaty of Versailles whereby he covers both the winners and losers during the peace process. Marshall explores the idea that it was the Treaty of Versailles that truly laid the groundwork that led to World War II.

S. L. A. Marshall's "World War I" is a notable accomplishment and account of the First World War and should be considered a must-read book for first time readers of World War I.