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5.0 out of 5 stars
The best written book on WWI, April 8 2003
James Stokesbury has written what I feel is the best overall book on WWI. Over the past several years, WWI has become fascinating to me, and I now have a library of about 15 book on the subject. Without a doubt, this is the best overall book on the subject. What really sets this book apart is the writing, much more readable than many if not most authors. For example, as much as I like John Keegan's work, this book is better written.Unlike some authors, Stokesbury pulls no punches. When a commander is dense, stupid, or even worse, he tells it like it is. One of my favorite lines from the book goes something like (I don't have my copy at hand) 'General ... was appointed to command the ... army, and was expected to do nothing, which he did exceedingly well.' This gives you a flavor of his writing style. This is not to say that Stokesbury is flippant, just direct. Stokesbury, who is a historian, writes as well as many novelists. The book is logically divided into digestible chapters in approximate chronological order. Some parts of the war, for example, the naval parts, while important, have only a few episodes worth noting in an overall history, so he has grouped them into three chapters, one on the early battles, one on Jutland, and one on sub warfare. All in all, I feel this is one of the two best books ever written on WWI, the other being Barbara Tuchman's "The Guns of August", which only covers a short period of time at the beginning of the war. If you have an interest in WWI, buy this book.
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