Offers military analysis of the major battles, including: Ypres, Tannenburg, Gallipoli, Somme, Verdun, Passchendaele and Beersheba, with fascinating reviews of the tactics, key battles and instruments of war from Zeppelins, sea planes and destroyers to rifles, bayonets and pistols.

This wide-ranging book begins with the state of

Europe before the war then embarks on four major

chapters chronicling the war a year at a time. Major

battles are interspersed with spreads detailing the

weapons and tactics used. A final chapter looks at

the aftermath of war and the newly emerging

European states. All aspects of the conflict are

covered, from common illnesses through to the use

of propaganda and atrocities on all sides. Key fact

boxes delve into the lives of the political leaders,

generals and fighters, and also discuss the political

movements which flourished.

The story of World War I is told in an accessible

style, supplemented with more than 500

photographs, maps and battle plans, making this the

perfect book for both general and specialist readers.

• A description of every major battle on land and at

sea detailing military strategy, successes and failures

illustrated with campaign maps and battle plans

• Covers the most successful weapons of war from

dreadnoughts and anti-aircraft guns to U-boats and

heavy field artillery, with specification boxes

providing key technical details on each weapon

• Focuses on the military figures who shaped the

course of the war from Generals Douglas Haig and

Alexei Brusinov to Paul von Hindenberg and on

political leaders such as David Lloyd George, Kaiser

Wilhelm II and President Woodrow Wilson

• A highly readable popular history of the military

and political events of World War One, illustrated

with more than 500 photographs, maps and plans