Excellent

Research and presentation of the highest standard..the reader is excellent ..the subject in great depth

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

The first year of Great War

Interesting audiobook, well written and properly narrated, however it is something for military history fans and looking at some maps is necessary, if you want to explore it in full dimension.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

The collision that dragged the world into War!

An excellent history of the so oft forgotten Eastern Front in WW1. I especially like the authors detail on the divisions and their commanders.

The narration is brilliantly executed, it includes readings of names of places that are sometimes difficult to read or pronounce.

The attention to detail about Battles such as Tannenburg and explaining just how political the placement of commanders and details on the training of armies was. This affected the efficiency of many armies in WW1 and it is shown all to well in this series of books in the case of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

An enthralling listen for anyone who wants to learn about the history of WW1, and especially useful to those who study the topic.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Good detail. Need a map

This book is at it’s best when describing broad themes and patterns, and the occasional summaries are the most useful parts. It’s hard to keep up with the war of movement and who is attacking who. Especially when the Russian Generals have German names… At times I felt as out of touch as the Kaiser or Tsar… Very good book and excellent performance.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

At last a proper campaign history

The English language histories of World War 1 have always been dominated by the Western Front in France and Flanders to the exclusion of the huge war in the east. Prit Buttar's series goes far to redress this balance. I never thought I would ever see this series in audio. But here it is and it is just superb. The detail is just glorious so that individual actions can be followed in detail. If you want a coffee table summary of this vast conflict, this series is NOT for you. If you want to know how the various participants plans worked out in practice and how their armed forces performed, this is the book for you.

The narration by Roger Clarke is particularly good for such a long book, and his pronunciation of the original place names adds a flavour of the old world that was lost in these regions.

Whilst in some places the editing could have been a little tighter, it does not really detract from the setting of the stage, the detailed character sketches and the descriptions of the first five months of fighting.

Very highly recommended to anyone with a serious interest in the Eastern and Serbian fronts and why we are still living the the results today.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

Nevertheless

I found this book to be quite dull to be honest, though it's more fun if you bring a bottle of vodka and down a shot every time the reader says "Nevertheless". Which is very frequently.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Collision of Empire s

A real struggle to finish, in fact I didn't finish. It was far too dry and seemed to focus on division numbers and it all felt like it didn't go together. Disappointed.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Difficult to follow

Difficult to follow the narrative without maps. Well researched Probably better to read the book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful