Author:Max Arthur,Richard Bebb
In 1960, the Imperial War Museum began a momentous task. A team of academics, archivists and volunteers set about tracing ordinary men and women who had lived through one of the most harrowing periods of modern history, the First World War. Veterans were interviewed in details about their day-to-day experiences, on and off the front. The project has since grown to be the most important archive of its kind in the world, and provides a unique account of life during the Great War.
Forty years on, the Imperial War Museum gave author Max Arthur and his team of researchers unlimited access to the complete WWI tapes. These are the forgotten voices of an entire generation of survivors of the Great War. The resulting audiobook is an important and compelling history of WWI, in the words of those who experienced it.
This collection includes:
· The Opening Shots: August 1914 - April 1915
· From Ypres to Gallipoli: April 1915 - June 1916
· The Somme and back to Ypres: July 1916 - July 1917
· The Struggle to Victory: August 1917 - November 1918
Magnificent ... must now be regarded as the standard work on the bombing war ... It is probably the most important book published on the history of he second world war this century
—— Richard J Evans , GuardianMonumental ... this is a major contribution to one of the most controversial aspects of the Second World War ... full of new detail and perspectives ... hugely impressive
—— James Holland , Literary ReviewThis tremendous book does what the war it describes signally failed to do. With a well-thought-out strategy and precision, it delivers maximum force on its objectives ... The result is a masterpiece of the historian's art
—— The TimesWhat distinguishes Mr Overy's account of the bombing war from lesser efforts is the wealth of narrative detail and analytical rigour that he brings to bear
—— EconomistExcellent ... Overy is never less than an erudite and clear-eyed guide whose research is impeccable and whose conclusions appear sensible and convincing even when they run against the established trends
—— Financial TimesIt is unlikely that a work of this scale, scope and merit will be surpassed
—— Times Higher EducationHard to surpass. If you want to know how bombing worked, what it did and what it meant, this is the book to read
—— Times Literary SupplementMy book of the year ... A staggering amount of research ... provides a sober and realistic assessment of [the bombings'] impact on the warring nations and on the civilians who bore the brunt of its impact ... It's hard to imagine a more thorough account: a masterpiece
—— Richard J Evans , New Statesman BOOKS OF THE YEARA much needed breath of fresh air ... Overy argues his point with the confidence of someone who knows he is master of his subject: his rich and varied approach, coupled with exhaustive research, makes this probably the best history of bombing of the past 20 years
—— Keith Lowe , TelegraphA superbly detailed account of a terrifying aspect of the Second World War
—— Simon Heffer , New Statesman BOOKS OF THE YEARAn extraordinary and far-reaching history ... the first full narrative of the bombing war in Europe ... Overy's scope is incredibly broad and well-researched, also highly readable
—— SpectatorThis is a tough, hardheaded and meticulous work of military history ... It is worth reading
—— Dan Jones , Telegraph BOOKS OF THE YEAROvery's history explains and explores strategy, tactics, technology and results in one seamless story that shatters myths and establishes truths
—— Nigel Jones , Sunday TelegraphUtterly fascinating ... What is most surprising in Overy's book is its remarkable contemporary relevance
—— Edward Luttwak , London Review of BooksThe first full narrative of the bombing war in Europe
—— Commander Barney White-Spunner , Country Life