Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary in World War I

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World War I is a somewhat distant event to most Americans. One hundred years and a colossal ocean separates modern America from that cataclysmic conflict, so when we remember it today, we tend to remember it as little more than a prelude to WWII, a foolish conflict instigated by a militaristic Reich and bloated by a web of entangling alliances. This is a flawed understanding; as author Alexander Watson expounds, the Central Powers were fighting a defensive war against a ruthless foe, who did their best to starve and demoralize their citizens. Ring of Steel illuminates the harshness that the civilians of the Central Powers endured, the mindset of the leaders and the very real fear that drove the conflict.

This book is amazing; at every turn of the page, a new aspect, never before considered, is presented and carefully explained. The book inserts proper names without breaking the flow of the text, and each development is meticulously supported. Numerous personal accounts, from letters, diaries, newspapers, autobiographies, and memoirs, provide a close and utterly human aspect to such a soulless conflict. The plight of the common man receives especially close attention; as the subtitle states, WWI was ultimately the people’s war.


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Author Alexander Watson
Star Count 5/5
Format Hard
Page Count 832 pages
Publisher Basic Books
Publish Date 07-Oct-2014
ISBN 9780465018727
Amazon Buy this Book
Issue January 2015
Category History
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