The First World War (John Keegan)

"The First World War was a tragic and unnecessary conflict," writes John Keegan, a military historian.  He continues:

Unnecessary because the train of events that led to its outbreak might have been broken at any point during the five weeks of crisis that preceded the first clash of arms, had prudence or common goodwill found a voice; tragic because the consequences of the first clash ended the lives of ten million human beings, tortured the emotional lives of millions more, destroyed the benevolent and optimistic culture of the European continent and left, when the guns at least fell silent four years later, a legacy of political rancour and racial hatred so intense that no explanation of the causes of the Second World War can stand without reference to those roots.

So begins Keegan's The First World War, a one-volume account (427 pages) of the horrific and horribly sad affair.  As you'd expect, Keegan's focus is on the military aspect of the war.  After an excellent introduction on the background and outbreak of the conflict, Keegan describes the battles on the western and eastern fronts largely in terms of military unit positioning.  All major battles in other theaters (on land and sea) are covered, too- it was a world war, after all.  Other aspects- political, economic, etc- are mentioned only in passing, as Keegan tries to be as succinct as possible.

Elements of this work are excellent.  As mentioned, the introduction is fantastic, and parts throughout are very well-done; it's clear Keegan knows his stuff, and he delivers (from what I can gather) a pretty balanced account.  Other parts are dry- it's easy to get lost (or bored) in the specific military unit designators Keegan pumps out as he describes the events.  Some parts seemed rushed, but it's hard to cover such a complex, global war in one volume and be complete.  Overall, this is a worthwhile read.  Having seen the battlefields and graveyards of Ypres and Verdun, I wanted to learn more about WWI, and this volume is a good place to start.  Is there any other event in the 20th century that has more shaped our modern world?

Rating: A-