I really appreciate being introduced to this author through his excellent text and detailed maps of World War I. Not being a scholar of history, the text illuminated main events of the war, and some of the reasons for them. The maps were presented chronologically within the text, along with archival photos (which added considerable interest for me). While the book mostly provides an overview to prepare one for more detailed study, for me it lent much understanding to a major segment of history that I previously had not delved into.

Chair of War Studies in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the United States Army War College, Michael Neiberg’s <i>World War I Illustrated Atlas</i> presents a visually rich and easy to read history of World War I.

The book is divided into seven sections, starting with an overview of the conditions that led to war before shifting the focus to the Balkans, where the war began. From there Neiberg moves through the different theatres of war: the eastern and western fronts, the wider (global) war, sea and air, and concluding with the aftermath. For each of these there are brief written descriptions and a wealth of maps showing the entire combat eras and then focusing on specific geographic locations for the individual battles.

Each section begins with archival photos, as the emphasis here is on visual information. Neiberg condenses complicated multi phase battles and the changing strategies of the militaries into short descriptions to accompany the many maps. Keys are highly important for understanding the presented information, with the focus on military campaigns in the different theatres.

An excellent short work for those who know little of World War I looking to understanding the campaigns and battles year to year. For more focused exploration of specific battles or the individual experience, readers will need to look elsewhere.

Neiberg has given us a pretty good tool to look at the First World War. The World War I Illustrated Atlas is full of essential overviews and details in maps that give, sector by sector, month by month, in some cases, even day by day accounts of the conflict that ranged over the entire world and killed tens of millions.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't perfect. This is a book that cannot possibly include all of the details, but it's a great reference that will come in handy when doing research, or just trying to get a handle on what happened. WWI was a conflict that had masses of data as the mainspring of organization. For a war that had so much inept blunders by individuals that ended up killing masses of people, the war generated statistics that still today we are trying to get a handle on. This reference guide, does help, but nothing can ever be a complete reference on such a large subject.

I highly recommend this book.

Provides a relatively thorough overview of the events leading up to World War One and the happenings of the war. The pictures are invaluable pieces of history and to see them adds much to the historical record of this war. The sheer volume of them adds to the telling of the story tremendously. The wide historical background that this book provides coupled with the extensive collection of photographs paints a comprehensive picture of the world from 1914 to 1918, and the tremendous destructon that those years have caused. The reverberations of which are still felt today. Not in love with the flow though. It seems very disjointed and while I get it is basically just telling about the important battles of the war, the structure could have been different so as to more seamlessly connect one battle to the other in a more narrative form rather than a purely factual way.

This book is amazing! I really enjoyed all the photographs and maps, and while I know the story of World War I. these maps will be a game changer. I definitely want to get a physical copy and use it in my classroom. I was especially interested in all of the U-Boat sinking sites. I saw the U-505 in Chicago a few years ago on a private tour, and I've seriously been obsessed since. WWI gets so overshadowed by WWII, but this I hope will bring back some much needed attention to the war that started it all!