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The First World War
by Hew Strachan (Simon & Schuster, 2003) £25.00
The First World War is a breathtaking new look at the conflict that transformed the 20th century, by the Chichele Professor of the History of War at Oxford University, Hew Strachan. It is the companion volume to the 10-part Channel 4 television series to which Strachan is chief consultant. Fully illustrated throughout, The First World War provides a completely new, finely argued perspective, overturning contemporary received wisdom about the war. Powerful, compelling and authoritative, this is a book based on immense knowledge - it is modern history writing at its best.
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The First World War, vol.1: To Arms
by Hew Strachan (Oxford University Press, 2001) £30.00
The first of three volumes, Hew Strachan's magisterial study was both the inspiration for Channel 4's ten-part TV series The First World War and the support website. Professor Strachan was also the consultant to the series. His first volume examines the cause of the war, its opening clashes on land and sea, the ideas that underpinned the conflict, and the motives of the people who fought it. This volume also provides invaluable accounts of the war's finances and of the Central Powers' bid to take the conflict beyond Europe to the Middle East and Africa.
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A War in Words
by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis
A War in Words tells the story of the First World War on a powerful human scale, through the letters and diaries of those whose lives were transformed by the conflict. Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis worked on Channel Four's The First World War as producers, uncovering the letters and diaries which provided the television series with contemporary eyewitness accounts. Many had never been published. From the testimony of a Serbian teenager, one of Archduke Franz Ferdinand's assassins, to the thoughts of a French soldier as he revisits a battlefield in 1919, this is a moving and multi-layered view of the war seen through the lives of the individuals caught up in it.
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Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War
Edited by Hew Strachan (Oxford Paperbacks, 2000) £15
An international team of experts examines the causes and consequences of the war, the evolution of military tactics and the development of political strategy.
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The Great War
1914-18 by Ian F W Beckett (Longman, 2001) £16.99
A compelling read that goes beyond the military narrative to consider the social, cultural and political impact of the war.
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The Pity of War
Niall Ferguson (Penguin, 1999) £10.99
Challenges many of the popular myths surrounding World War I. Recommended both for serious students of the war and for general readers.
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Chronicle of the First World War
Randal Gray and Christopher Argyle (Facts on File, 1990) £38
A reference guide to every military aspect of the war, enabling the reader to establish what happened on given day, week or month across the globe.
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Historical Dictionary of World War I
Ian V Hogg, (Scarecrow Press, 1998) £47.50
A useful dictionary that helps to explain how World War I transformed the entire world. Also contains detailed chronologies and maps.
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The First World War
Michael Howard (Oxford University Press, 2002) £8.99
An admirably concise narrative history that analyses the origins of the war and the unfolding military conflict and its long-term repercussions on the world.
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The First World War
John Keegan (Pimlico, 1999) £12.50
A widely available narrative, which confesses to perplexity at what the war was about but focuses almost exclusively on its military events.
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The Macmillan Dictionary of the First World War
Stephen Pope and Elizabeth Anne Wheal (Pan, 1997). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
A comprehensive guide to World War I with more than 1,600 entries. Also analyses the social, political and economic issues involved in the conflict.
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The Virago Book of Women and the Great War
edited by Joyce Marlow (Virago, 1999) £9.99
Joyce Marlow's anthology collects a broad spectrum of women's writings on the First World War. Extracts from diaries (published and unpublished), autobiographies, letters, newspapers, and memoirs jostle for the reader's attention, carrying the voices of an equally diverse range of women from Britain, the US, France, Germany and Russia.
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The First World War and International Relations
David Stevenson (Clarendon Press, 1991) £20.99
An informative account of the international diplomacy and politics of World War I.
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The European Powers in the First World War: An encyclopaedia
Spencer C Tucker (Garland Science, 1999) £27.99
A general encyclopaedia containing more than 600 entries covering all the major campaigns and technological developments plus profiles of key statesmen, generals and politicians.
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Programme-related historical works
Programme 1: TO ARMS |
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The Balkans, 1804-1999: Nationalism, war and the Great Powers
Misha Glenny (Penguin, 2001) £14.99
An informative and insightful account of the history and politics of a complex region.
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The Eastern Front 1914-17
Norman Stone (Penguin Books, 1998) £8.99
Classic account of Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary's brutal war. Places the military tactics within a useful economic context, and skilfully portrays the uncertainty that often characterised military decision-making on this front.
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The Guns of August by Barbara W Tuchman
(Constable & Robinson, 2000) £9.99
Originally published in 1962, this classic narrative history of the war's first month describes the strategies employed the generals, the morale of the armies and the tactical problems encountered by the commanders.
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Decisions for War
edited by Keith Wilson (UCL Press, 1995) £17.99
Aimed mainly at history undergraduates, this book focuses on the critical July/August period and analyses the forces that influenced the behaviour of politicians.
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| Programme 2: UNDER THE EAGLE |
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The Coming of the First World War
edited by R J W Evans and Hartmut Pogge von Strandmann (Clarendon Press, 1990) £18.99 (print on demand)
An elegantly written book that assesses the impact of public opinion on political decision-making during July 1914, and analyses the motives of diplomats during this critical month.
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The Arming of Europe and the Making of the First World War
David G Herrmann (Princeton University Press, 1997) £15.95
An intriguing book that places the outbreak of the war within the context of an escalating European arms race. The narrative begins in 1904 and considers the impact of new weapons on military planning.
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The Origins of the First World War
James Joll (Longman, 1999) £16.99
A succint survey which dispenses with a narrative to discuss the possible causes of the war in thematic terms - not only diplomatic and military but economic, social and imperial.
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Britain and the Origins of the First World War
Zara S Steiner and Keith Neilson (Palgrave Macmillan, 2nd ed. 2003) £16.99
Steiner and Nelson consider the range of forces that pushed Britain into war in 1914 and conclude that the main concern was a desire to preserve the continental balance of power.
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Coronel and the Falklands
Geoffrey Bennett (Birlinn, 2000) £7.99
An account of two significant naval battles in the early months of the war. Vividly describes the bravery of Rear-Admiral Cradock and the conditions that were responsible for Britain's major defeat at Coronel.
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The First World War, vol. 1: To Arms
by Hew Strachan (Oxford University Press, 2001) £30.00
The African Chapters in Prof. Strachan's book offer the best and most authoritive account of the war throughout the African continent.
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Germany's Aims in the First World War
Fritz Fischer (Chatto & Windus, 1977). Out of print; may be available at libraries or from second-hand bookshops.
A controversial book that maintains that Germany's bid for world power prior to 1914 was one of the main causes of the outbreak of war. Caused great consternation among German conservatives when it was published.
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Graf Spee's Raiders
Keith Yates (Pen & Sword/Leo Cooper, 1995) £18.95
A lively narrative outlining the short, dramatic careers of Graf von Spee's eight ships and the havoc they inflicted on allied shipping lanes.
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Ordered to Die: A history of the Ottoman army in the First World War
Edward J Erickson (Greenwood Press, 2000) £42
Based on recently available Turkish archives and official sources, this is the first general history in English of the Ottoman army in the First World War.
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A Peace to End All Peace: The fall of the Ottoman empire and the creation of the modern Middle East
David Fromkin (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2000) £14.99
An ambitious and vividly written account of how the decisions made by Allied statesmen and generals during and after the First World War shaped the development of the modern Middle East.
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Gallipoli
Robert Rhodes James (Pimlico, 1999) £12.50
First published in 1965, Rhodes James's study has come to be recognised as one of the definitive accounts of the disastrous Gallipoli campaign. Makes excellent use of diaries and letters written by men who fought in the campaign.
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Turkey: A modern history
Erik J Zürcher, (I B Tauris, 2000). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
An excellent general study that covers the entire period following the French Revolution. Its twin themes are the modernisation of the Turkish state and society and Turkey's incorporation into the modern Western world.
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| Programme 5: SHACKLED TO A CORPSE |
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A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1924
Orlando Figes, (Pimlico, 1997) £16
One of the most important and readable studies of Russia in the early decades of the 20th century. Using personal papers and histories, Figes assesses the impact of the revolution on individuals and covers the broad sweep of war and social turmoil.
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The Jews in the Twentieth Century: An illustrated history
Martin Gilbert (Schocken Books, 2001). US edition only; may be available from online bookshops.
The Jews of Europe, Asia and the Middle East have experienced great tragedies in the 20th century. Gilbert's work offers the reader a valuable visual account - with 400 photographs - of a turbulent 100 years.
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The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary, 1914-1918
Holger H Herwig (Arnold, 1996). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
The best English-language account of the war from the German side, which makes it hard to comprehend how the Central Powers stayed in the field so long.
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Isonzo: The forgotten sacrifice of the Great War
John R Schindler (Greenwood Press, 2001) £42.50
The most recient and fullest English language account of the war on the Italian front.
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Tannenberg: Clash of empires
Dennis E Showalter (Shoe String Press, 1991). US edition only; may be available from online bookshops
Showalter's account of Germany's great victory over Russia in August 1914 is placed within the context of ongoing rivalry and ethnic hostility between the two empires.
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| Programme 6: BREAKING THE DEADLOCK |
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Trench Warfare, 1914-18: The live and let live system
Tony Ashworth (Pan, 2000) £7.99
Trench combat is often seen as being unremittingly brutal and murderous. Ashworth describes how the 'live and let live' system came into operation and its impact on the lives of ordinary soldiers.
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The Great War and the French People
Jean-Jacques Becker, translated by A Pomerans (Berg, 1996) £20.99 (print on demand)
Becker's book analyses the impact of the First World War on French society, and tries to explain why the French people were prepared to make such terrible sacrifices during 1914-18.
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The First Day on the Somme
Martin Middlebrook (Pen & Sword/Leo Cooper, 2001) £19.95
Drawing on official sources, newspaper accounts, autobiographies, novels, poems and the recollections of hundreds of survivors, Middlebrook tries to explain why Britain suffered 60,000 casualties on 1 July 1916, and considers the impact of this trauma on the British psyche.
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The Somme
Lyn Macdonald (Penguin, 1993) £10.99
Originally published in 1983, this book tells the story of the 18 divisions that went 'over the top' between Arras and St-Quentin on the morning of 1 July 1916 and walked into a battle that has gone down in the annals of human conflict as the slaughter of a generation. Macdonald interviewed many of the surviving British soldiers.
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Forgotten Victory - First World War: Myths and realities
Gary Sheffield (Review, 2002) £7.99
World War I is often regarded as a huge human disaster, but historian Gary Sheffield argues that the war, though tragic, was far from futile. He also assesses the prowess of Britain's citizens' army and their major victories in 1918.
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The Killing Ground: The British army, Western Front and emergence of modern war
Tim Travers (Pen & Sword/Leo Cooper, 2003) £8.99
Using unpublished diaries, letters, memoirs and Cabinet and War Office files, Travers tries to explain why the British Army adopted certain types of military tactics during World War I.
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Secret Service: The making of the British intelligence community
Christopher M Andrew (Hodder, 1986). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
Andrew's book traces the development of the British Secret Service from its origins in the Restoration era and including the spy stories and cryptographic successes of World War I.
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All Quiet on the Home Front: An oral history of life in Britain during the First World War
Steve Humphries and Richard van Emden (Headline, 2003) £18.99
Some of the oldest men and women in Britain speak about experiences and events that have remained buried for 85 years. There are accounts of rural famine, bereavement and the effects on families back home, plus the story of a woman who planned to kill her family to save them further suffering. Read the extract from the introduction.
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A Naval History of World War I
Paul G Halpern (UCL Press, 1995) £17.99
This wide-ranging book covers naval contests in the Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Adriatic and Baltic. The author considers naval operations, strategy and technology and relates these to the war's wider political, economic and diplomatic aspects.
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The First World War: An agrarian interpretation
Avner Offer (Clarendon Press, 1991) £19.95 (print on demand)
Casts valuable light on naval strategy and the problem of the German food supply.
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Men at War 1914-18: National sentiment and trench journalism in France during the First World War
Stephane Audoin-Rouzeau, translated by Helen McPhail (Berg, 1992). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
Trench combat produced a vivid and varied literature. Audoin-Rouzeau takes us into the hearts and minds of the ordinary French soldier to consider his hopes and fears.
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Facing Armageddon: The First World War experienceEdited by Hugh Cecil and Peter Liddle (Pen & Sword/Leo Cooper, 2003) £35
Incorporating the views of 64 scholars from around the world, this book tries to explain the real nature of the participants' experience of total war.
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The Undermining of Austria-Hungary
Mark Cornwall (Palgrave Macmillan, 2000) £60
Cornwall's book examines the importance of ideas and 'front propaganda' in both the disintegration of Austria-Hungary and the emergence of Yugoslavia.
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Lawrence of Arabia
Jeremy Wilson (Sutton, 1998). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
Wilson's biography explores the life and times of the iconic liaison officer, including his correspondence with writers, artists and politicians.
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The First World War: An agrarian interpretation
Avner Offer (Clarendon Press, 1991) £19.95 (print on demand)
Casts valuable light on an often-neglected aspect of the war - the importance of the countryside, its peasantry and the issue of food supply.
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| Programme 9: GERMANY'S LAST GAMBLE |
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Stormtroop Tactics: Innovation in the German army, 1914-1918
Bruce I Gudmundsson (Greenwood Press, 1995) £14.85
Stormtroop tactics represented a major innovation in military practice. This book offers a clear account of the men and officers who developed this new approach to battle.
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The German Offensives of 1918
Martin Kitchen (Tempus, 2001) £25
Germany came close to winning the war with its spring 1918 offensive. Kitchen's book offers a clear account of the battle and the reasons for Germany's ultimate failure.
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The Kaiser's Battle
Martin Middlebrook (Penguin, 2000) £9.99
The Kaiserschlact of 1918 was intended to break the deadlock of the Western Front and bring final victory to Germany. Martin Middlebrook uses the accounts of survivors to tell the story of this epic battle.
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The Great War in the Air: Military aviation from 1909 to 1921
John H Morrow Jr (Prentice Hall/IBD, 1993). US edition only; may be available from online bookshops.
The war in the air is a frequently neglected aspect of World War I. Morrow's book succinctly explains why it came to have increasing significance in the latter stages of the conflict.
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Tormented Warrior: Ludendorff and the Supreme Command
Roger Parkinson (Hodder, 1978). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
An excellent biography of the victor of Tannenberg and one of the most important tactical innovators in military history.
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| Programme 10: WAR WITHOUT END |
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Germany after the First World War
Richard Bessel (Clarendon, 1995) £19.99 (print on demand)
Bessel's book clearly explains how unpleasant German civilian life was both during and after the war, when hunger and economic chaos stalked the land.
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The Great War and Modern Memory
Paul Fussell (Oxford University Press, 2000) £9.99
First published in 1975, Fussell's book cogently explains the means by which the war has been remembered, conventionalised and mythologised. Considers the work of Sassoon, Graves, Blunden, Jones, Rosenberg and Owen.
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Battle Tactics of the Western Front: The British army's art of attack, 1916-1918
Paddy Griffith (Yale University Press, 1996). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
Griffith explains how the British military establishment came to reassess its tactics after three years of war and was able to launch a brilliantly successful summer offensive in 1918.
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From Amiens to the Armistice: The BEF in the Hundred Days' Campaign, 8 August-11 November 1918
J P Harris with Niall Barr (Brassey's UK, 1999) £25
In three months of brutal fighting, the British Expeditionary Force helped to bring Germany to its knees. This book rescues the hugely influential 'Hundred Days' campaign from its undeserved obscurity.
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Tormented Warrior: Ludendorff and the Supreme Command
Roger Parkinson (Hodder, 1978). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
An excellent biography of the victor of Tannenberg and one of the most important tactical innovators in military history.
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