World War I: The Great War

By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius

Touched off by a terrorist act in Bosnia and spreading all too quickly beyond the expectations of those who were involved, World War I was an unprecedented catastrophe with a ghastly cost. After this first "total war" - the first conflict involving entire societies mobilized to wage unrestrained war, devoting all their wealth, industries, institutions, and the lives of their citizens to win victory at any price - the world itself would never be the same.

These 36 riveting half-hour lectures cut through the tangle of historical data to uncover the patterns that make sense of complex events. Whereas most World War I narratives focus on the Western Front in France and Flanders, with its mazelike trenches, gas attacks, constant shelling, assaults "over the top" into withering machine gun fire, and duels of dog-fighting aviators in the sky, Professor Liulevicius also devotes great attention to other important arenas, including the Eastern Front, the Southern Fronts, the War at Sea, the Arab Revolt, the Communist Revolution, the Armenian Massacre, the Spanish Influenza, and more.

Professor Liulevicius combines chronological and thematic approaches for a sweeping survey of World War I's many dimensions. He explores themes such as the surprising eagerness of all parties to plunge into mutual slaughter, the unexpected endurance of societies undergoing total war, the radically different hopes and hatreds that the war evoked, with remarkable contrasts between western and eastern Europe, the meanings that the different sides ascribed to the war, and the role of various ideologies in the war's course and conduct.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2006 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2006 The Great Courses

Great comprehension gained

I knew next to nothing that coupd be qualifies as precise about WWI, gatering information only through pop culture.

In this context, this course was immensely interesting and informative about this century-transforming struggle.

like the lecturer. really knowledgeable

really knowledgeable on the subject of eastern Europe. "WWI was a suicide attempt of the entire Western civilisation. some say a successful one"

Good Review

I ordered this for the 100 year anniversary of WWI. I found the lectures very well organized and I felt that I had a much better understanding of the chronology of the conflict as well as its scope. I think this is one of the best courses I have listened to so far. Hard to say "I loved it" because it is about such a brutal conflict

great history

WWI is an macbre lesson in how savage humans are capable of becoming to one another.

excellent

This was an excellent course. The breath of knowledge, the organization, and delivery were all absolutely excellent and riveting. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who has interests in history and especially in the 20th century history.

Great lecture series

I listened to these lectures prior to taking my WWI course in getting my BA in military history and it really provided much needed context and background information as to what caused the Great War and how it progressed.

Awesome

An incredibly pivotal time that shaped the modern age. This is a great overview. Loved it.

Impressive

I admire the prof’s ability to cover this wide range of ground and make it more than digestible. To do so without exuding a hint of political bias is just as impressive.

Riveting and Well Organized

Unlike some previous reviewers, I actually thought the organization of chapters enabled a deeper dive into specific aspects of the war such as the more obvious social and political impact, the war has on countries, advances in medicine, the development of horrific new technologies such as gas warfare or flamethrowers, the toll the war took on the soldiers on all sides to name just a few. As a result I knew exactly what lectures I wanted to listen to again.
I especially found fascinating the last two chapters.
If you are looking for an in-depth military analysis this will probably not do it for you.

Great Read

I loved it. The book covers the political and social factors leading up to, throughout and after the war, but there isn't a lot of data regarding specifics of the war itself.