"With each passing year, veterans of the Great War grow fewer in number. Yet the war itself continues to attract attention and inspire anger. Fierce battles rage between those who disagree over the origins of the conflict, its nature and its legacy. At the heart of these debates a central question recurs: is the war an example of the twentieth-century dominance of machines over man, or can the terrible losses be attributed to the mistakes made by individual men?".

"This book explains the war in a manner the lay person can understand, and the expert will still find intriguing. It covers a broad canvas, but does so with great economy. The origins of the war, both diplomatic and social, are discussed in a particularly illuminating fashion. The reader is then taken through the major battles on the Eastern and Western Fronts, and is in the process given insight into the eventual Allied victory. The war at sea, on the home front and in distant theatres is also carefully examined. There is, in addition, a worm's eye view of the conflict - the war as it was experienced by the men in the trenches.".

"The book provides a clear and sustaining introduction to a conflict usually mired in confusion. The strong narrative drive and lively style make it an easy and enjoyable read. Students will find the book a very good starting point for a study of the war, and lay readers will simply enjoy the clarity and drama it brings to a war which continues to intrigue and torment."--BOOK JACKET.