More than a century after the guns at last fell silent, World War I still occupies a unique place in history. The 20th century incurred many devastating periods and the second global war incurred a greater loss of life than in 1914-18. But the "Great War" remains a byword for senseless loss of life, and the tragedy and futility of human conflict.
This book provides a fascinating study of the whole conflict. With revealing photographs and incisive text, it examines the path to war, the key battles, the weaponry, the commanders, and the forces engaged in four years of fighting.
Above all it illustrates the bitter experience of those on the front line, showing what it was like for those who suffered, survived, but all too often died in the "war to end all wars."