The First World War In 100 Objects

World War I in 100 Objects by Peter Doyle is a dynamic social history and perfect gift for history lovers. General readers and history buffs alike have made bestsellers of books like A History of the World in 100 Objects. In that tradition, this handsome commemorative volume gives a unique perspective on one of the most pivotal and volatile events of modern history. In World War I in 100 Objects, military historian Peter Doyle shares a fascinating collection of items, from patriotic badges worn by British citizens to field equipment developed by the United States. Beautifully photographed, each item is accompanied by the unique story it tells about the war, its strategy, its innovations, and the people who fought it.

Trace the history of the first truly global conflict through this collection of 100 iconic items, from posters, hats, and a soldier's bible to a battleship, tunnel, and POW camp. Archduke Ferdinand's car. A rum jar. And rifles, helmets, and barbed wire. Written by a renowned expert on World War One, this fully international book takes an unusual approach to understanding the bloody conflict. It examines 100 objects from the era, ranging from the gas mask, zeppelin, and Churchill's famous cigar to personal possessions that tell poignant stories of those who fought, suffered, and died. Offering a unique perspective on "the war to end all wars," these objects are accompanied by short essays that highlight their significance. Reissue.

A powerful narrative and visual treatment of the "war to end all wars."

See the history of World War II in an entirely new light through 100 carefully chosen items, from the public to the deeply, poignantly personal. Selected by two specialists in military history, the objects in this book offer a unique perspective on the Second World War. Ranging from iconic items like the British Spitfire, the Purple Heart, and Hitler's mountain retreat, to personal treasures that tell the moving stories of individuals, to official documents, medals, and badges, they all help trace the history of the conflict. Organized chronologically, each one is accompanied by a brief description that highlights the article's significance. Reissue.

Enjoy this free sampler of the full ebook. Read full entries for three of the 100 objects, selected from different points during the war. A History of the First World War in 100 Objects narrates the causes, progress and outcome of the First World War by telling the stories behind 100 items of material evidence of that cataclysmic and shattering conflict. From weapons that created carnage to affectionate letters home and from unexpected items of trench decoration to the paintings of official war artists, the objects are as extraordinary in their diversity and story-telling power as they are devastating in their poignancy. Each object is depicted on a full page and is the subject of a short chapter that 'fans out' from the item itself to describe the context, the people and the events associated with it. Distinctive and original, A History of the First World War in 100 Objects is a unique commemoration of 'the war to end all wars'.

Presents the history of the "Doctor Who" television universe through one hundred objects, including the Ultima machine, the Mona Lisa, TARDIS, and axonite.

Objects allow us to reach out and touch the past and they play a living role in history today. Through them we can understand the experience of men and women during the First World War. They bear witness to the stories of men whose only morning comfort in the trenches was the rum ration, children who grew up with only one photograph of the father that they would never get to know, women who would sacrifice their girlhood in hospitals yards from the frontline, pinning a brooch on to remind themselves of a past life. Weapons like the machine gun and vehicles like the tank that transformed the battlefield; planes that had barely learnt to be flown entangled in dogfights far above the barbed wire of the frontline; German submarines that stalked shipping across the seas. Through these incredible artefacts, Peter Doyle tells the story of the First World War in a whole new light.

This book takes a dramatically original approach to the history of humanity, using objects which previous civilisations have left behind them, often accidentally, as prisms through which we can explore past worlds and the lives of the men and women who lived in them. The book's range is enormous. It begins with one of the earliest surviving objects made by human hands, a chopping tool from the Olduvai gorge in Africa, and ends with an object from the 21st century which represents the world we live in today. Neil MacGregor's aim is not simply to describe these remarkable things, but to show us their significance - how a stone pillar tells us about a great Indian emperor preaching tolerance to his people, how Spanish pieces of eight tell us about the beginning of a global currency or how an early Victorian tea-set tells us about the impact of empire. Each chapter immerses the reader in a past civilisation accompanied by an exceptionally well-informed guide. Seen through this lens, history is a kaleidoscope - shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising, and shaping our world today in ways that most of us have never imagined. An intellectual and visual feast, it is one of the most engrossing and unusual history books published in years.