Reddit reviews The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914
We found 9 Reddit comments about The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Used Book in Good Condition
I've had to remove some links from the main post. Added here:
General works - more advanced material
You should read at least one book from the preceding section before looking at books here. They are a more advanced treatment on the topic that may include viewpoints that are not commonly held.
This book discusses the war in general through transcripts of live discussions between leading historians. An unconventional look at the war which ranges widely while avoiding the academic tone of most books - highly recommended.
Sheffield reinterprets the war, debunking the myths of 'lions led by donkeys' and futility which arose from popular culture and powerfully arguing that the war had to be fought, and was won by a British Army which by 1918 was the most effective fighting force in the world.
This book is a narrative of the war that takes a detailed look at the conscientious objectors and the rise of the socialist movement in the context of the greater war. It is highly focused on British people and events.
An in depth look at the origins of World War I with particular focus on Balkans politics and events such as the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.
Seems to be the only recent English language work on the Italian front that I and it brings to light a long forgotten front that had some of the most extreme fighting in the war.
General works - personal accounts
Online resources
This is also a description of how German stormtroop tactics evolved, but much shorter. It is worth to mention because it is available as a free PDF, and good enough that you will find it quoted in books now and then. Gudmundsson's book is a more comprehensive resource but this one has the benefit of being online and free.
Fiction
The classic novel of WWI experiences
Loosely based on his own experiences, this novel helps bring the war "up close & personal".
I recommended this book on another thread, but I just finished reading The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 and it is an excellent, if sometimes dry, account of the origins of WWI.
Also, All Quiet on the Western Front should be included in any WWI reading list, even if it isn't a history book. Same goes for Farewell to Arms.
Since you cruise Amazon The Sleepwalkers: How we went to war in 1914 is a fantastic book about the politics leading up to the war.
"The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914" is my favorite book about World War One. Most people these days have no idea that a Serbian terrorist group called The Black Hand was behind the Sarajevo assassination, and the history of that group. I'm not going to comment further so as not to spoil anything for you, but if you don't know anything about The Black Hand or Serbian history, it's an absolutely fascinating tale of political intrigue that got lost in accounts focused on the devastation of the war itself.
The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914
https://www.amazon.com/dp/006114665X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MkY9Bb6FEEJW6
I often find that longer comments regarding most subjects of non-fiction on reddit are filled with faults, errors and are heavily biased.
I therefore recommend that anyone who is interested in the first world war to read up on the subject themselves.
I would recommend the book ''The sleepwalkers'' as a starter for anyone who has no prior knowledge on the subject. The book is extremely interesting and well written. The main problem with the book however is the authors verbose language. Which is another way of saying that the author tends to write needlessly complicated sentences.
Here is a link to the amazon page
http://www.amazon.com/The-Sleepwalkers-Europe-Went-1914/dp/006114665X
Of course anyone who wants to gain serious knowledge on the subject has to read more than the work of just one author. But the book is a great place to start.
What are your comments with regard to the permanency of the triple entente? As I appreciate it from The Sleepwalkers,
there were a number of events that threatened to disrupt the system of alliances before WWI. Russia and France were tied at the hip, but there was no necessity for Britain to be the third leg of the triple entente, and there was contemporary discussion that the British/Russian entente would fail. Clark blames the war in large extent on Russian vacillation toward Europe with regard to Serbia, and on Poincare's vehement policies. Generally, Clark takes the position it was the weaknesses of the alliances, not the strength, that caused the war.
I'll give the articles a read, but since you seem genuinely interested in the subject, i'll propose something as well: http://www.amazon.ca/The-Sleepwalkers-Europe-Went-1914/dp/006114665X
This book is great, not only in a historical sens, also in the way the author writes it. Nothing at all to do with the usual history book, trust me, give it a read. And if you doubt me, go to the local bookstore, read the first few pages and see for yourself. The author backs everything up with sources and all so you can go verify what he is saying yourself, and he is objective throughout in his wording.
The new hotness in WWI history right now is "Sleepwalkers", but that has a lot in common with the scope of Catastrophe 1914. It's mainly focused on the lead-up to the war, beginning with the turmoil in Eastern Europe around the start of the 20th Century and zooming into much more in-depth diplomatic history about why the war actually started. It's excellent (if you're into that sort of thing) and offers a long, gripping tick-tock that is much more up-to-date than the classic "Guns of August".
If you're interested in reading about the military conflict itself, it's hard to go wrong with Keegan's The First World War. It's a broad overview history of the war that is very readable and might give you some ideas of topics worth further diving into.
If you're interested in the pre-war diplomatic history of WW1, I highly recommend you read Christopher Clark's "The Sleepwalkers", it's a very good account of the diplomatic shenanigans that was happening in the pre-war days that led up to the eventual outbreak of the war.