First World War

Holger H. Herwig is Professor of History at the University of Calgary, Canada. Modern Wars series general editor Hew Strachan is Chichele Professor of the History of War, University of Oxford, UK. The advisory editor is Michael Howard.

'Full of fascinating detail, strongly argued, and lucidly written, Herwig's study is certain to force a re-evaluation of the origins and course of World War One.' Choice 'A comprehensive study...we have needed for some time...one cannot but admire the breathtaking scope of [Herwig's] scholarship. A brilliant work by one of the real giants in the field. An absolute must read for anyone with even a passing interest in the subject.' New York Military Affairs Symposium 'In making extensive use of achive material in Germany and Austria... [Herwig] is able to destroy effectively the myth of a well-run German war machine.' The Times Literary Supplement '...the most thorough and readable one-volume history of the war so far available.' History '[Herwig] makes comprehensive use of archival sources...[He] combines this original scholarship with comprehensive synthesis of a generation's worth of specialized research. When clear organization and lucid prose are added to the mix, the result is a definitive analytical overview of the Central Powers at war.' The Journal of Military History 'Historian Herwig draws primarily on German and Austro-Hungarian archival sources (many of which have become accessible only in the last decade) to analyze the surprising weaknesses and blundering of those two powers. Following an informative preface by series editor and historian Hew Strachan and an introduction by the author, Herwig presents a terse narrative of the war's course. Chapter notes and an extensive bibliography contain a large number of German and Austrian official sources, while black-and-white maps illustrate major battles and campaigns.' Harry E. Whitmore

• Names, places and dates; origins - "now or never"; the plans of war; the great gamble, 1914; towards industrialized war, 1915; dual defeats, 1916 - from the Meuse to the Sereth; the long-war reality, 1915-16; survival; a sea-change 1917; the last levy, 1917-18; operation "Michael" - the "last card"; defeat, 1918-19.