Full Text Review(s)
"The History of World War I set chronicles World War One's political, social, and historical significance. Black and white and color photos and maps pack each of the three volumes, while chapters are divided by years 1914-16 (war and response), 1917-18 (victory and defeat) and the final volume covering home fronts and technologies of war. An excellent, basic reference set."

"This three-volume History of World War I is extremely complete. The volumes are divided chronologically between 1914-1916 and 1917-1918. The third volume covers the home fronts and the technologies of war. This title is well written and profusely illustrated. The scope of coverage sets it apart. It covers the entire range of the war from the battlefields of Europe to the struggles of Palestine, Russia, and Ireland. The volume on the home front explores the issues of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy, and Russia as well as those of the United States, Britain, and France. The third volume also treats the wide range of large-scale military inventions that were first used in combat from tanks to trench warfare. If your curriculum includes the study of World War I, you should consider including this volume in your collection. It would make a good teacher resource because most American history texts include little depth about World War I. Recommended."

"The recent outpouring of books and films related to World War II and the so-called 'Greatest Generation,' is now beginning to be rivaled by a parallel surge of interest in the Great War. Even though the vast majority of those who experienced World War I firsthand are no longer with us, the tempo of historical interest in the momentous event that created the modern era has quickened over the past few years. While it is tempting to make the case that World War II defined the twentieth century, an equally convincing argument can be made in favor of it having been World War I. In fact, some historians now consider the two conflicts to be a single struggle, punctuated by a brief 20-year period of relative peace.

Marshall Cavendish's three-volume History of World War I is the latest of the many fine treatments of the 'war to end all war.' Organized by three different themes, 'War and Response, 1914--1916’ (v.1), 'Victory and Defeat, 1917-1918' (v.2), and 'Home Fronts, Technologies of War' (v.3), this handsomely bound and richly documented work targets readers from the middle school through university levels. Of particular interest is the rich iconography, including colored maps of battlefields, photographs of participants and 'Key Figures,' as well as reproductions of newspapers and propaganda posters. In addition, inset boxes on 'Eyewitnesses' and the 'Political World' help to contextualize and enrich the treatment of World War I as something much greater than a military conflict. In many respects, this work makes it clear that the war, in addition to being the bloodiest struggle of the twentieth century, resulted in a cultural upheaval of monumental proportions.

The History of World War I will also be of particular interest to teachers of English, social studies, and history who are looking for new ways to present a war that brought us such 'novelties' as the Zeppelin, poison gas, and Big Bertha, and colorful personalities like Mata Hari and the Red Baron. The American responses to World War I, and our brief participation in it, are highlighted, as are the socio-cultural repercussions, such as the participation of African American soldiers and the entry of U.S. women into the workforce. The series further reminds us of the dense web of connections between the two world wars both in terms of weaponry and personnel. On the German side, we find the names of a future general like Ervin Rommel who is honing his strategic skills on the Western Front, as well as the twice-decorated and wounded Austrian corporal, Adolf Hitler. As Ian Kershaw has written, 'the First World War made Hitler possible.' On the American side, we learn of the skillful bravura of 'Colonel' George S. Patton, their nemesis in Normandy and at the Battle of the Bulge slightly over two decades later.

Eminently readable and accessible to all, the ambitiously titled History of World War I does not disappoint either for the accuracy of its historical information or its lucid analyses. Despite occasional repetitions, which are inevitable in a work of this magnitude, the collection is bound to rekindle interest in the Great War as we approach the centennial of its outbreak in 1914."