A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914-1918

A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914-1918 by G.J. Meyer

If one is looking for a detailed, yet concise and easy to understand book on World War I, look no further than G.J. Meyer’s comprehensive account.  I use the word ‘concise’ with a bit of apprehension. This book is over 800 pages. Yet World War I was a long, brutal war with many tales to be told – the who, the why, the what, etc.  So yes, it’s a thick detailed book, but very easy to read and appreciate.  I’ve read many history books, and many authors might be experts on their subject matter, but simply don’t know how to hold a reader’s attention for a lengthy amount of time.  You’ve experienced this as well I’m sure; maybe you had a college professor that was brilliant but never knew when to shut up when lecturing in the classroom.

So, yes, in many ways you could argue that this is a ‘Cliffs Notes’ account of the first world war, but there’s plenty here to keep you enthralled.  Notice I said ‘enthralled’ and not ‘enjoyed’. You’d have to be quite sadistic to ‘enjoy’ a book about an event with so much senseless carnage. But if learning history is your thing, this is a great introduction to what was then called, “The War to End All Wars”.

Part of the appeal of this book is that the author does tell a strict linear account of the entire conflict, yet most of the chapters have an ‘extra section’ tacked on to the end that talks about the different elements that educate the reader on “how” and “why” the world got into such a tumultuous turmoil in the first place.  These extra sections include everything from the backgrounds of each of the major countries involved to the introduction of chemical weapons.  From newfangled gadgets called ‘airplanes’ to the role of women in the war.  From the doomed Romanov family to Lawrence of Arabia. There’s a lot of interesting stuff here, and it’s all quite fascinating and educational.

Anytime I read a book about a war that gives details of battles, generals, political players, troop movements, and military jargon, I confess that it’s easy for me to get lost and tune out at times.  When I read so many descriptions of ‘armies flanking west’ and ‘General Whosis who took the 4^th army’s 6^th division and counterattacked through some unpronounceable town etc.’ I simply get overwhelmed and lost.   I never felt this way reading this book.  Again, give the author credit.  I felt as though he was purposely telling us a story (as the subtitle implies) rather than simply piling on fact after fact after fact.

That’s not to say that this volume is 100% comprehensive.  No, not even a ‘brief’ account of 800 pages can cover everything.  We rarely read about the minor countries. (Side note: Did you know Japan fought in WWI also? Do you know who’s side they fought on?) I was hoping to read about (future U.S. President) Herbert Hoover’s philanthropic leadership providing aid towards the savaged nation of neutral Belgium, but as I recall, there’s nothing in here about those events.   This isn’t a complaint, merely an observation.  So if there are certain events of the first world war that you’re vaguely familiar with and want to learn more about, you might not find them here.  But all of the major stuff is included.

In conclusion, if you’re an astute student of World War I, I’m guessing there might not be that much that’s new for you here, but for the majority, this is a great book if you love to learn about the history. Even if it’s arguably the worst time in the history of the civilized world.