The First World War
A single-volume military history of the entire war by the most influential military historian of the 20th century.
The Verdict
When readers want one book to make sense of the whole war, this is still the first recommendation. John Keegan brings to 1914-18 the same gifts that made his work on other conflicts famous — clarity about why battles were fought as they were, sympathy for the men who fought them, and prose that never hides behind jargon. He is especially strong on the war's central riddle: how the industrial killing of the Western Front could grind on for four years with so little to show. A model single-volume history.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- One authoritative volume on the whole war
- A clear explanation of the trench deadlock
- Keegan's humane military history
- A first serious book on WWI
Look elsewhere if you want
- Deep coverage of a single campaign
- The war's cultural and literary memory
- An argument over a survey
Why We Rated It 4.5
Historical Context
The First World War (1998) is John Keegan's single-volume military history of the conflict, covering all the major fronts. Keegan, long the defence editor of the Daily Telegraph and author of The Face of Battle, was among the most influential military historians of his era.
Events Covered
Editions & Reading Notes
Read It Alongside
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0375700453
Read This Against
The same events seen from a different vantage point. The fullest understanding often lives in the space between accounts that don't agree.
Other Books About the Same Events
More by John Keegan
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Keegan's The First World War a good starting point?
- Yes — it is widely regarded as the best single-volume overview of the war for general readers.
- Does it cover fronts beyond the Western Front?
- It covers the major theatres, though, like much popular history, it gives significant weight to the Western Front.