A Few of My Favorite Books on World War One

World War One is not on the radar of many Americans. In many ways the Great War ends the cultural optimism and colonialism of the nineteenth century. American emerges as a true super-power. The Great War marks the dawn of the modern age. If I have piqued your interest, here are a few suggested titles readers of the Riddleblog may enjoy. All but one of my choices deal with geopolitical consequences of the war, not with battles, tactics, or weaponry. That list of recommendations might come later. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments section.

This superbly written book appears on most World War One “recommended reading” lists for good reason. Tuchman turns the complex troop movements of the German Schleiffen Plan into page-turning high drama. One of my all-time favorites: Barbara Tuchman -- "The Guns of August"

With the aid of the German foreign office, Kaiser Wilhelm II concocted a hair-brained plan to coax Mexico into invading the US along the southern border, in exchange for a return of former Mexican territory in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The Brits uncovered the plot in the form of the Zimmerman Telegram and turned it over to us. The extent of German treachery pushed a reluctant Woodrow Wilson closer to a declaration of War. Tuchman’s book is marvelous. Barbara Tuchman -- "The Zimmermann Telegram"

There is a long-standing debate over how the major powers of Europe so quickly followed their treaties and alliances into a full-fledged war, not long after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo in June of 1914. Two months later, all the great European powers were at war with each other. Clark wrestles with the question, “which nation is primarily responsible for the war and why did the `trip-wire’ of the alliance system fail to keep the peace?” There are lessons here for us about the current alliance system. Compelling and well-written. Christopher Clark -- "The Sleepwalkers"

The irony here is palpable. The Christian nations of “Christendom” fought a savage war with one another, each claiming to possess God’s blessing because their nation was fulfilling the will of God. Anglican Britain was allied with Roman Catholic France and Italy, and Protestant America. Lutheran Germany allied itself with the Roman/Orthodox hodgepodge of states known as Austria-Hungary to fight against the Russian Orthodox Czar and the Russian nation. Clerics in every nation whispered claims about the will of God in their respective leader’s ears. Others whipped up public support of war aims. The Turkish-led genocide in Armenia is also fruit of the Great War—an event with overtly religious grounds and implications. Philip Jenkins -- "The Great and Holy War"

If you’ve ever watched Lawrence of Arabia and wondered who was who in the Ottoman-Arabic world, this will help. It is a well-written and compelling book. Who were the Ottomans and how did their empire become known as the “sick man of Europe?” The fall of the Ottomans left the Middle East in a shambles from which it still has not recovered. Rogan -- "The Fall of the Ottomans -- The Great War in the Middle East"

How did Zionism take root in the UK? Who was Chaim Weizmann? What roles did men like Lloyd-George and T. E. Lawrence play in shaping the Middle East? How did Arthur Balfour succeed in pulling off one of the most significant and unlikely treaties in a climate rife with Antisemitism resulting in a Jewish homeland in Palestine? What was the Sykes-Picot Treaty and how did it shape the modern Middle East? It is easy for us to lose sight of what it meant to the Muslim world when a British General, Allenby, led British soldiers into Jerusalem for the first time in centuries. This is a well-written and fascinating book. Schneer -- "The Balfour Declaration -- Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict"