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The Great War

1914-1918

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The Great War

By: Peter Hart
Narrated by: Roger Davis
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About this listen

The Great War was the first truly global conflict and it changed the course of world history.

In this magnum opus, critically acclaimed historian Peter Hart examines the conflict in every arena around the world, in a history that combines cutting-edge scholarship with vivid and unfamiliar eyewitness accounts, from kings and generals, and ordinary soldiers. He focuses in particular on explaining how technology and tactics developed during the conflict - and determines which battles were crucial to its outcome. Combatants from every corner of Earth joined the fray, but their voices are rarely heard together. This is a major history of the conflict whose centenary has just passed.

This is a pioneering and comprehensive account of the First World War, comparable to Anthony Beevor or Max Hastings.

©2014 Peter Hart (P)2014 Hachette Audio UK Military War Imperialism Royalty
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This is a fantastic account of the war and its essential actions. Just be aware that this is a purely military account. Politics, economics, religion and culture are only discussed in a few scattered paragraphs and only to clarify the military action. If you're after a concise, fast-paced account of the fighting, this is for you. If you want to learn about why this war happened and how civilians were impacted, this isn't for you.

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After grouping the chapters in a different order for example the 5 years at sea is all over the place. Group the chapters in your own way over the wars time frame and I absolutely loved this. Thank you! I'm reading it for the third time now and really enjoying it.

At first read I didn't enjoy it, however.

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A good account. I appreciated his mention of Australia’s General Sir John Monash and the pivotal Battle of Le Hamel he led in July 1918, although I think the battle itself could have been given greater coverage.

The integrated battle plan devised and executed by General Monash led to his forces advancing two miles in 93 minutes for 300 killed, thereby putting the key transportation hub of Amiens out of the reach of the Germans. The scale of the achievement may be better understood when one considers that advancing two miles using the trench warfare methods of the time would have taken some eight months for 35,000 killed. No doubt it contributed to German forces being swiftly driven back towards the Hindenburg line and eventually to the Armistice of November 1918.

Meticulous coverage

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.