Victory and Defeat in 1918

With Our Backs to the Wall

It is impossible ... to exaggerate how impressive this book is

Brilliant and comprehensive ... a major contribution

This is, as one would expect from a historian of Stevenson's great learning and analytical power, a masterly study

An immensely useful study, emphasising the crucial importance of morale, political stability and trust

Stevenson brings to his study a formidable authority and mastery of the sources, and judgments that seem admirably measured and nuanced

A fascinating military narrative ... masterly

A magnificent and exhaustive account of the war's final year ... Stevenson has a deserved reputation as one of the world's leading authorities on the war

A magisterial single volume synthesis of all the themes to deliver a punchy, incisive reboot of WW1 history that is never a dull read

A monumental study deserving of a wide readership by scholars and generalists alike

Stevenson's grand scope, his international perspective, and his reliable judgements, combined with crystal-clear writing, have produced an exemplary book, a formidable contribution to our understanding of the Great War and the twentieth century

The strength of the book lies in his ability to weave together astute analysis of the antagonists' abilities and weaknesses ... Told with verve and analytical vigour, Stevenson's book is a compelling and authoritative study of one of the most significant turning points in 20th-century military history

Stevenson's detailed, lucid description of the development and maturation of that ability reflects encyclopedic mastery of published and archival sources while synergizing military, economic, political, and social-cultural factors. It is a professor's page-turner. It is also a door-opener to any reader seeking to understand the Great War's last stage

David Stevenson is a Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and author of the highly praised 1914-1918: The History of the First World War: 'Momentous... this history of the conflict surpasses all others', Independent; 'Superb', Ian Kershaw; 'David Stevenson is the real deal', Niall Ferguson; 'The best comprehensive one-volume history of the war yet written', New Yorker.

FINANCIAL TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR and DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOKS OF THE YEAR 
 
Shortlisted for the 2012 DUKE OF WESTMINSTER MEDAL FOR MILITARY LITERATURE 
 
At the end of 1917 Britain and France faced a strategic nightmare. Their great offensives against Germany had been calamitous, leaving hundreds of thousands of young men dead and wounded for negligible territorial gains. Despite America's entry into the war the US army remained tiny, the Italian army had been routed, and Russia had dropped out of the conflict. The Central Powers now dominated Central and Eastern Europe, and Germany could move over forty divisions to the Western Front. Yet only one year later, on 11 November 1918, the fighting ended in a decisive Allied victory. 
 
Stevenson's rich and compelling book retells the story of 1918, and with penetrating original research goes to the very roots of this instrumental turning point in modern history.

David Stevenson

The History of the First World War

David Stevenson

1914-1918

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