This is a compelling account of the First World War. It offers clear analysis of the war on land, sea, and air, and considers the impact of the war on Europe's civilian population. Issues addressed include the relationship between war and industrialisation, trench warfare, the long term effects of the war on changing social structures, and economic and demographic consequences. The main text is supplemented by a rich selection of primary source material (from songs, soldiers' slang, to diary accounts).

Stuart Robson is Professor Emeritus of History at Trent University, Ontario, Canada.

PART ONE: BACKGROUND 1. War Known and War Imagined PART TWO: LIMITED WAR, 1914-15 2. 1914: Oops! The Plans Fail 3. Taking Stock 4. The war in 1915: Badly planned Disasters 5. The Home Fronts PART THREE: TOTAL WAR 6. 1916: Attrition and the Well-Planned Disaster 7. Organizing for Victory 8. Technology and Tactics 9. 1917: Mere Unspeakable Suffering PART FOUR: GOING ON OR GOING UNDER 10. The bitter End: 1918 PART FIVE: ASSESSMENT PART SIX: DOCUMENTS