This title offers an authoritative chronological account of the military and political events of The Great War, with more than 350 photographs and maps. It provides a highly readable history of the military and political events of World War I, described chronologically, from the state of Europe before the declaration of war by Germany to the triumph of the allies and the armistice. It chronicles the course of the war a year at a time and details the major events including the battle of the Marne, the first day of the Somme, the race to the sea, and the stalemate on the Italian front. There are fascinating fact boxes that highlight the lives of the important political leaders and generals, such as Alexei Brusilov, Henri-Philippe Petain, Douglas Heid, David Lloyd George and President Woodrow Wilson. This fascinating book is divided into seven chapters, one on each of the five years of the war, plus an introductory chapter on the causes of the war, and a concluding chapter on its aftermath and long-term legacy. Each chapter covers the war's battles and campaigns, and there are special feature boxes on a variety of subjects including key personalities and points of special interest. The history of the Great War is told in an accessible style and supplemented with over 350 photographs, maps and battle plans, making this a perfect book for both general and specialist readers.