Pandora’s Box: A History of the First World War

just superb wonderful narrative with context, explanation inference and reflection in fact, I found it un-put- downable- to coin a phraseI began to read 2 months ago and just finished last night--- 8 weeks-- I noticed that as I got towards the end I read in smller bites to prolong the pleasure of reading this bookyes--its a beast-- 907 pages of text perhaps 20 odd pages between fotos and maps-- all the rest is textand yet I never flagged-- never put it down to take break-- I really just couldn't stop reading/admiring/loving my time w this volumeobviously don't read if this is yr first book on WW1--- but if you have the basics under yr belt and are ready to make the commitment- then this is the book for youmost of us are familiar with the beginnings from the aneexation crisis 0f1908 through the battles of Tannenberg and the Marne-- and , again, on the other end-- the events of October 1918 ending in the Versailles treatybut its the 36 months in between 1915 16 17 that are so much in focus in this accounthow the various states accommodated to a new type of war both at home and on the field , the economic ppolitical and social consequences of this first world struggle- all of this is described in wonderful detail -- in addition to accounts of the various,varying battles and campaignsthe first world war is the Ur-catastrophe-of twentieth century European historythis volume is a wonderful wise long account of that struggle-coda--- an earlier amazon reviewer observed that the book read like a bad translation from Germanthat was not my experience at all, - I very rarely had to reread a sentence to comprehend its sense was also great to se this war through leens of Central European Powers. well worth yr time I highly recommend-- great book for a long summer vacation read; even if it is very heavy to lug aroundamazing value for 23 dollars -thanks amazon!.brian lordan.

This is a tough book for me to rate. Honestly, it was not a pleasant and enjoyable reading experience for me. Nevertheless, it is a meticulously researched and exhaustively detailed book on a seminal historical event. If you are the scholarly sort, with a deep and abiding interest in World War I, or even history in general, this is likely the “go-to” book on the subject. On the other hand, if you are reading simply for enjoyment, look elsewhere.This book is a real doorstop, incredibly dense (not just in the depth of its subject, but physically) and difficult to even hold when reading in bed. It is heavy and cumbersome with over 900 pages of text and another hundred or two in endnotes, bibliographies and indexes. I read a lot of very long books, but this one took me seemingly forever to read, such was the complexity of the subject matter and the author’s treatment of it. If you read it at night, it will often times put you to sleep after 15-20 minutes.I rate it at 5 stars, because I believe it accomplishes what the author set out to do; that is to produce a comprehensive analysis of the factors leading to, involved in and following the First World War. That being said, I believe the target audience for this work is relatively small.

Other reviewers have described this book as a scholarly, comprehensive work that reads well, and at first glance I concur. I leave better historians than I to judge the merits of the scholarship, and I limit this review to the book's production and arrangement, along with a few additional observations. My German is likewise not good enough to assess accuracy of translation, but a few quick dips into several subjects seemed understandably clear.At 1087 pages (907 of text), 2 1/4 inches thick, a book of this format taxes the limits and convenience of a single volume. However, the binding appears strong, with the pages sewn in small signatures, which should ensure its durability as a reference to be consulted beyond initial reading. It is printed on acid-free paper (a check with a pH testing pen confirms this), of an attractive off-white, and the type, though necessarily somewhat small, contrasts well, is nicely spaced, and easy to read.As expected, there is an index and many pages of notes. Fortunately, most of these are citations and are not necessary for a basic reading of the narrative, for their arrangement at the end of 900 pages makes flipping back and forth inconvenient, but the days of true foot notes are a relic of the past in modern book production.There are a number of illustrations scattered throughout the text, and though reproduction is small, they enhance coverage of a wide range of subjects beyond military aspects. A couple of captions had insignificant, minor inaccuracies, but they are readily apparent and should not confuse readers.I'm initially favorably impressed with this book and would strongly recommend it.

Largo y difícil, pero considerando el tema, no podría ser de otro modo. Lo más importante, es un libro que aporta al lector muchísimo en la comprensión del conflicto, no tanto desde lo militar como de la complejidad del fenómeno social e histórico que fue la Primera Guerra Mundial.

the book itself is fine but as in the headline there are more than the few stains on the page edges that the description says. because of them i would describe the book as fair to good, not good. ,

This book is not for the faint of heart, or those looking for a purely military history of WWI. Its vast scope and dry, academic tone and style will put off many readers. But this mammoth text amply rewards perseverance. Despite a somewhat stolid translation, Leonhard's book provides a wealth of detail, insight and analysis into far more than just the battles, or the geopolitics of the madness of that war. It is as complete a socio-political history as I can imagine and I learned a great deal from many hours of reading.

A very learned expose, but extremely heavy going

A most worthy and and knowledgeable addition to my library of First and Second World War books.

If there is only one book you want to read about World War I, this has to be it.Magnanimous in its content, the book covers the political & social circumstances during the pre-war period in Europe and connects the dots to colonial adventures many Western European countries were involved in during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It talks about the follies of alliances and the shortsightedness of policy makers in looking at the long term consequences of war. Moreover it also emphasises on the lack of understanding of modern warfare among the military elite, who depended on tactics which no longer applied to then existent realpolitik; threading out branches which would later form the root causes for Work War II.Of course, whatever I have mentioned above is just the prelude before the storm. The book contains amazing in-depth information which I haven’t found in other books on the Great War. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to study the war interlude in detail. It’s a huge book and would take a lot of effort on the part of the reader to conceptualise the facts, chronologies, timelines and political relationships intertwined in it.

I bought this book for my husband who read about it in the Western Front magazine. He is highly delighted with it and as he is very fussy about his books, this says a lot. He is already very knowledgeable about the First World War.