WW1: A Layman's Guide: A Short & Straightforward History of the First World War (The Layman's Guide History Series)

This is a well written no nonsese account of the major events in the Great War. It is easy to read, quite funny in parts and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to take their first steps in building up their knowledge of this part of history, although as I say in the title, even as someone who does have prior knowledge, I still found it useful, learned new things and thoroughly enjoed it. I will certainly be buying some of the authors other works.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't normally go in for history but I've always struggled to understand what started WW1 and what made it so horrific. Scott Addington has a knack for taking a complex issue and breaking it up so it's easier to digest. The other thing I liked is the way in which it flows. The author's narrative skills take the reader on a journey through one of the bloodiest periods in history in such a way that you are fully informed without getting bogged down in the minutiae. The only thing that would have made this great little book greater would have been a few photos here and there. Nonetheless this is a thoughtful and well executed summary of The Great War and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about the subject but doesn't necessarily have a great deal of time to invest in it.

I should, perhaps, start with a confession. As an archaeologist and historian I'm probably not quite the target audience Scott Addington had in mind when he wrote this book. That said, although I'm not exactly a layman, the First World War isn't really my speciality either. I enjoyed this book.In the introduction ("Ink and Incredibility: Not another history of the First World War!"), Scott urges the reader to think of this book "more like a conversation over a pint" rather than an academic treatise. An antidote to books that 'look too complicated/boring/dull/technical/long/heavy/difficult to understand'. In this, I think he has succeeded. The writing style is informal and fits perfectly with his goal. The chapters are short (typically just a few pages), broadly in chronological order, and use language that is always accessible for the general reader. There were times when I would have liked a little more detail, but then, this is an introductory text.I particularly liked Scott's choices for his chapter titles. "Bully Beef and Rats: life in the trenches", "Mud", and "Mandatory Suicide: The First Battle of Passchendaele" give the reader a pretty fair idea of what to expect while simultaneously piquing their interest, inviting them to read on and find out more. The References section begins with Google (yes, this is the twenty-first century. Get over it!), and also makes the point that the information Google offers may be good, bad or indifferent (how very true!). Scott goes on to provide links to some excellent websites on the subject, and then to list and describe his sources and some further reading for those who want to take their interest further (I've already ordered a couple of these for myself).In short, this is an excellent, plain English, introductory text for the First World War. You should read it.

I loved this book! As an introductory book into a very complex subject it is perfect for both casual and obsessive readers alike. It acts as almost a detailed index, given you just the right amount of information you need to understand why and how things happen but also encourages you to complete further research into specific parts of this vast subject that interest you most. The author, unlike any I've seen, is not afraid to recommend and direct you to other publishers works - if you've developed an interest in a particular topic, he will help lead you to your next reference point. You can tell the author has a real passion for history and a desire to share this passion with everyone really comes through in this work. If you know nothing about WW1 or only jumbled fragments as I did previously then buy this book and you will find the dots all piece together by the end and your hungry to dive into the minutiae of specific parts of this deeply evocative and tragic period of our history.

An excellent attempt to put the whole complex, hideously messy piece of history that we call WW1 into layman-speak. On the whole it works pretty well. As such, I REALLY hope it's read by the young folk of our world. Especially if it helps them gain an interest in, and start to understand, what the world went through 100 years ago; and how important it is that the mistakes made then are learned from, and not repeated.If this book helps that process, then I can forgive the mis-spellings, poor grammar, omissions and minor mistakes in this book.

O K for the non -historian. No references, no index, page numbers. Just basic information.

As the product info says, this book is perfect for any novice wanting to find out about WWI. The very detailed chapters make it easy to find key parts and to dip in and out of the book. it was easy to understand and there was not too much use of technical language to confuse people. The manner in which the book is written really sucks you in. It is not too formal and not to serious, which I've found can turn people away from this important topic.As a teacher I have recommended the book to students wishing to do extra reading around the subject and would do so again. It is ideal for this.Just a shame that it's not in print. I love my kindle, but it's not as handy as being able to pick up a book and flick through to the page you want :)

I love military history and have many books on the subject but I find many books about the campaigns very dry with mind numbing facts and figures which to be honest I can barely take in let alone fully understand.This is this the first book I've read on the subject which is very readable and easy to understand.If you are interested in the subject and this year 2018 is the 100th anniversary of the wars end you could do a lot worse than read this first and then delve deeper from other sources.I look forward to reading his other books.

Good read for an American that knows way too little about Europe.This reinforces my belief that war is just a big waste of human life with nothing gained.

This a great simple concise book to begin learning about the most important events in WW1.

Helpful guide to understand what lead to and key events of world war 1. Recommended reading if you want to better understand

I enjoyef this book it gave me an overall picture of WWI. Easy to read and caughts your attention from begining to end

Aunque se echa de menos algún mapa y algo más de detalle en algunos momentos, como introducción al tema me parece perfecto. Los capítulos cortos y el estilo informal ayudan a que la lectura nunca sea aburrida. Al final del libro hay una selección de libros, para quien quiera profundizar sobre el tema.