World War One

On the hot, August day in 1914 when war was declared, Britons returning from Bank Holiday excursions treated the news with resignation or excitement rather than fear. Nobody expected the war to last long - it would be over by Christmas. By 1918 Britain, and the whole world, knew that it had been drawn into the most wretched, awesome conflict yet known. In this masterpiece of succinct narrative, Philip Warner provides the overview required to follow the motives and reactions of all those involved in the First World War, so enabling the reader to understand the strategies and tactics. He usefully adds comment on how the war was concluded, the literature it created and debates the question: was it avoidable?