Overview

The First World War was too big to be grasped by its participants. In the retelling of their war in the competing memories of leaders and commanders, and the anguished fiction of its combatants, any sense of order and purpose, effort and achievement, was missing. Drawing on the experience of front line soldiers, munitions workers, politicians and those managing the vast economy of industrialised warfare, ATTRITION explains for the first time why and how this new type of conflict born out of industrial society was fought as it was. It was the first mass war in which the resources of the fully-mobilised societies strained every sinew in a conflict over ideals - and the humblest and highest were all caught up in the national enterprise. In a stunning narrative, this brilliant and necessary reassessment of the whole war cuts behind the myth-making to reveal the determination, organization and ambition on all sides.

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9780349000077

Table of Contents

Reviews

A refreshingly balanced view ... the great strength of Philpott's book is its magisterial overview of the whole war ... a fine contribution to our growing understanding of the conflict -- Peter Parker Daily Telegraph A highly readable account ... a great book for those who want to look behind the propaganda Sunday Herald

A refreshingly balanced view ... the great strength of Philpott's book is its magisterial overview of the whole war ... a fine contribution to our growing understanding of the conflict -- Peter Parker Daily Telegraph A highly readable account ... a great book for those who want to look behind the propaganda Sunday Herald Philpott's achievement is to present a view of The Great War as an attritional conflict in a very readable fashion. 'Attrition' is an accessible work for the general reader rather than a denesley argued mongraph... Attrition stands on its own merits, as an important contribution to an active and lively scholarly debate William Philpott's boldly argued and engaging book is a timely rejoinder to simplistic views Times Literary Supplement A first-class overview of the whole war, and a useful addition to anyone's library Military History

A refreshingly balanced view ... the great strength of Philpott's book is its magisterial overview of the whole war ... a fine contribution to our growing understanding of the conflict -- Peter Parker Daily Telegraph A highly readable account ... a great book for those who want to look behind the propaganda Sunday Herald Philpott's achievement is to present a view of The Great War as an attritional conflict in a very readable fashion. 'Attrition' is an accessible work for the general reader rather than a denesley argued mongraph... Attrition stands on its own merits, as an important contribution to an active and lively scholarly debate William Philpott's boldly argued and engaging book is a timely rejoinder to simplistic views Times Literary Supplement

A first-class overview of the whole war, and a useful addition to anyone's library * Military History * Philpott's achievement is to present a view of The Great War as an attritional conflict in a very readable fashion. 'Attrition' is an accessible work for the general reader rather than a denesley argued mongraph... Attrition stands on its own merits, as an important contribution to an active and lively scholarly debate William Philpott's boldly argued and engaging book is a timely rejoinder to simplistic views * Times Literary Supplement * A highly readable account . . . a great book for those who want to look behind the propaganda * Sunday Herald * A refreshingly balanced view . . . the great strength of Philpott's book is its magisterial overview of the whole war . . . a fine contribution to our growing understanding of the conflict -- Peter Parker * Daily Telegraph *

Author Information

Dr William Philpott is Professor of the History of Warfare in the Department of War Studies, King's College London. He is a specialist in the First World War, in particular British strategy and the history of the French army.

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