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To: 2manydegrees
World War I is on my mind

Me too. I want to read a really good book about WWI. Any suggestions?

4 posted on 02/28/2025 1:00:56 PM PST by Jim W N (MAGA by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ (Jude 3) and our Free Constitutional Republic!)
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To: Jim W N

Not a book, but a series on YouTube....The Great War.

The best episodes are the Week-By-Week ones with Indy Neidell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FgaL0xIazk&list=PLB2vhKMBjSxO1lsrC98VOyOzfW0Gn8Tga


13 posted on 02/28/2025 1:10:06 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Jim W N

Guns of August, Barbara Tuckman, is a great book. What’s really interesting about WW I is that it was a family fight between the relatives of the noble families. At the end, only the British royalty survived.

There are many good documentaries on WW I on the streaming services.


14 posted on 02/28/2025 1:12:46 PM PST by DeplorablePaul
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To: Jim W N

“Guns of August” is a good introduction.

This book has some surprising insights on how Europe stumbled into war - “The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914”.


29 posted on 02/28/2025 1:32:01 PM PST by Reily (a)
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To: Jim W N

Years ago I read a John Toland book think it was called The Great War it was accurate and it was a good read with anecdotal observances included.


30 posted on 02/28/2025 1:37:39 PM PST by Clutch Martin ("The dawn cracks hard like a bull whip and it ain't taking no lip from the night before" Tom Waits)
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To: Jim W N

“I want to read a really good book about WWI. Any suggestions?”

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman.

That’s the best I’ve read on the war.


32 posted on 02/28/2025 1:39:55 PM PST by bosco24
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To: Jim W N

I recommend Winston Churchill’s six volume masterpiece “The World Crisis”. Told by him from his perspective as a key, and some may argue somewhat failed participant due to Gallipoli. It really is compelling. (BTW it may show up as only five volumes since volume five was published in two parts.)

You may even be able to find it at low cost or even free on Amazon Kindle.


33 posted on 02/28/2025 1:40:18 PM PST by Afterguard (Deplorable, garbage me. Trump is a threat to bureaucracy.)
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To: Jim W N

“Me too. I want to read a really good book about WWI. Any suggestions?”

Dan Carlin has an absolutely excellent 5 part audio production called “Blueprint for Armageddon” in “Hardcore History” which I viewed perhaps 2 years ago. It was free then. Now, as I look for it, it looks they want money for it. It is on Spotify, I don’t know if it is free there. Each segment is about 1.25 > 2 hours.

If you keep searching for “Blueprint for Armageddon” and “Hardcore History” you *may* be able to find a free version.

Yes! Try this!
https://archive.org/details/50-blueprint-for-armageddon-i-hardcore-history

5 segments, free.


39 posted on 02/28/2025 1:49:11 PM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (The Democrat breadlines will be gluten-free. )
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To: Jim W N

Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman
The First World War, John Keegan

I’ve read those two. Tuchman is the better writer.

My impression is that no one has a good explanation for that war. The triggering event is well known, but the decision to let it lead to a huge war that destroyed European civilization isn’t clear. It was a bigger bloodbath than most of us appreciate since we tend to focus more on WWII.

I see that Paul Fussell also has a WWI history, “The Great War and Modern Memory” which I think I’ll order.


78 posted on 02/28/2025 4:15:43 PM PST by Pelham (President Eisenhower. Operation Wetback 1953-54)
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To: Jim W N

AHC (American Heroes Channel) aired a four-part documentary entitled “Apocalypse World War I” that was very good. I think it first aired in 2014, the anniversary of the start of WWI. I learned so much that I never knew before about WWI. It uses old film and narration. Some of it is very gory and hard to watch, but it gives a good history of WWI — before, during and after. They have aired it several times, and I think it is available on YouTube.


100 posted on 03/01/2025 12:27:43 PM PST by Polyxene (Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice. Psalm 130)
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