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The First World War

A Complete History

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The First World War

By: Martin Gilbert
Narrated by: Roger Clark
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Summary

It was to be the war to end all wars, and it began at 11:15 on the morning of June 28, 1914, in an outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire called Sarajevo. It would officially end nearly five years later. Unofficially, however, it has never ended: Many of the horrors we live with today are rooted in the First World War.

The Great War left millions of civilians and soldiers maimed or dead. It also saw the creation of new technologies of destruction: tanks, planes, and submarines; machine guns and field artillery; poison gas and chemical warfare. It introduced U-boat packs and strategic bombing, unrestricted war on civilians and mistreatment of prisoners. But the war changed our world in far more fundamental ways than these.

In its wake, empires toppled, monarchies fell, and whole populations lost their national identities. As political systems and geographic boundaries were realigned, the social order shifted seismically. Manners and cultural norms; literature and the arts; education and class distinctions; all underwent a vast sea change.

©1994 Martin Gilbert (P)2020 Tantor 20th Century Military Modern War Royalty Imperialism Interwar Period Thought-Provoking Submarine Russia U-Boat World History
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Excellent book but the narrator’s peculiar pronunciation of names is most distracting. Nonetheless I’d recommend this to anyone wanting to have a comprehensive overview of The Great War

Excellent but narrator distracts one from the tale

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Comprehensive and well written prose but let down by poor pronunciations. Buy the book instead.

Well written, poorly read.

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An incredible and moving account at the Great War covering, not only the battles but also historical figures i’d explain in what they were doing at this particular time of the war the final chapter is very moving particularly the account of the internment of the unknown soldier at Westminster Abbey in London. Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in this part of history.

An incredible account of the Great War

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Brilliant. so much I never knew, and such a passionate and fair review if those terrible days. thank you.

An enlightenment.

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I love this it tells you everything from start to finish i am going to read it again

Great

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