Magisterial in its scope, beautifully written and literally unputdownable. I cannot recommend Keegan's book too highly. (Julian Critchley, Scotsman). Nobody describes a battle as Keegan does, vividly relating the unfolding events to the contours of the field of combat. This book is a kind of war memorial. As first-hand memory fades, The First World War honours the dead as only true history can. (Niall Ferguson, Sunday Times). John Keegan's The First World War can take its place alongside the other defining works he has written. The best and most approachable introduction to the war. (David Horspool, Guardian). Beautifully written and full of telling detail. The best overall account for the general reader that has appeared since that of Cyril Falls nearly forty years ago. (Michael Howard, Times Literary Supplement).