This is a superb military study of the Great War. if you are looking for some new perspectives on the Bloody Fields of Flanders and elsewhere then this seminal work by Peter Hart is a good place to start. Many, many books have been written on WWI and with the 100th anniversary upon us this continues to be so.

This work places the military aspects squarely in the forefront and provides the reader a superb look at how and why the war was fought the way it was. The author also makes frequent use of first hand material to let the soldiers who took part tell their story.

Some detractors might observe that the chapters dealing with the Eastern Front and elsewhere are slender and that few quotes from participants are used. Doubtless the language problem was a factor here. If you are looking for a comprehensive look at the conflict on this front and others then you might be disappointed. The author is definitely concerned mostly with the Allied effort on the Western Front. It is here that he believed the war would ultimately be either won or lost.

The author tries to dispel the many notions that the allied generals were incompetent and simply threw their armies away on wasteful frontal attacks. Instead Haig, Foch and Joffre are seen in more positive light. Under the circumstances it is doubtful that the battles could have been conducted much differently. The tactical concepts combined with the massive size of the armies and the firepower that they could produce were all factors that would have resulted in a bloodbath regardless of who commanded.

The author sees the conflict as a pendulum that swung back and forth as first the Germans and then the Allies each tried to introduce new weapons and tactics into the Trench War matrix. Positive results were often achieved but the cost was always high. In WWI military victory on the battlefield would never come cheaply to one side or the other. The size of the armies and the new firepower that they possessed simply precluded any decisive result until one side could be gradually worn down.

The author also provides a sobering look at the effects of US intervention in 1918 as the German Michael Offensives burned out. One quote from a German officer puts it simply: "Yes, it was easy for the inexperienced Americans to stage heroic feats against the German Army of 1918. It was totally exhausted and could no longer effectively resist the Allied attacks. These Dough Boys would have had a different story had they met the German army of 1914-16!" True, the US Army under its Bulldog General Pershing just plowed forward with the crudeness of a Donkey often suffering horrific losses in the process. Still, they managed to tip the scales in favor of the Allies at the critical late stage of the war.

This is a superb work, smoothly written and with many new insights to provide a fresh look at a well worn conflict.