Tony's Reviews > A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918

Straight forward, very readable summary of WW1, focusing on the big picture. The author handles it all well, seamlessly switching between theatres without it all getting too confusing. Every other chapter is a short background section covering topics that might otherwise get overlooked - the royal families, new technology, poetry, women in the war, etc. which I thought worked really well. The evolution of infantry tactics is also well explained. This would probably make a good first book on WW1.

I really wanted to love this book. But for me though there just wasn't enough detail (major battles are dealt with in a few pages, Jutland in a few paragraphs) or enough eye witness accounts to give a sense of what life was like. (Yes, it may be unfair to criticise a single volume history for not being detailed enough - but it's my review so I can do what I want.) And it really would benefit from a few more maps.

3.5 stars, rounded up.