Ten years in writing (and, one fancies, much more in research) this
is, in the words of the dustjacket puff, 'the first truly
definitive history of the First World War', the war that shaped the
20th century (and, one might add, the 21st). Whereas earlier
generations of historians had access to a limited range of sources
and focused in the main on military matters, more recent approaches
have embraced a wider agenda, taking in the diplomatic, economic,
social and cultural aspects of the conflict. As Professor Strachan
says in his introduction, 'the war's association with adventure,
excitement, courage and even purpose has been replaced by its
connotations of suffering, waste and tragedy'. Yet, as he points
out, 'neither is exclusive of the other'. This calmly authoritative
and immensely readable history combines the two perspectives in a
manner reminiscent of the magisterial Hugh Thomas, with a similar
penchant for figures and statistics. It examines not just the
causes of the war and its opening clashes on land and sea, but the
ideas that underpinned it, and the motivations of the people who
supported it. It provides full and pioneering accounts of the war's
finances, and of the Central Powers' bid to widen the war outside
Europe. The result is a history that breaks the normal bounds of
Anglo- (or at least Euro-) centric preoccupations to become truly
global and comparative in its approach. Relatively quiet on the
Western Front, then, but there is detailed consideration of the
(oft overlooked) war in Africa, Central Asia and the Far East, as
well as the Middle East and Central Europe. Strachan, who is also
the editor of The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World
War, has a personal stake in the subject. His grandfather fought
and was wounded in action. This does not affect Strachan's
objectivity but it does enable him to recognize that objectivity
can be a chimera for historians, and that this is only a history of
the war, albeit a mammoth one, and not the history (despite what
the dustjacket blurb might boast). The first of three volumes, it
could not be more timely, with the break-up of Yugoslavia, unrest
in the Middle East and the crisis in Iraq. We can all learn lessons
from the Great War. (Kirkus UK)
Hew Strachan's monumental account has been heralded as the definitive work on the First World War. His narrative, always readable and incisive, brings together an unparalleled range of material. Military and strategic perspectives are combined with those of cultural, diplomatic, economic, and social history. The viewpoints of Germany, England, and France are represented with equal clarity. The result is an account that breaks the bounds of national preoccupations to become both global and comparative.
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