1918: Year of Victory
The End of the Great War and the Shaping of History
Edited by Ashley Ekins
Read How You Want, (2010) EasyRead Large Print, in 16 Point Font
(Originally Published in Standard Print by Exisle Publishing)
ISBN: 9781458752307 Genre: History—World War I

Reviewed by Herbert White—November 1, 2010

World War One is known by many names, the Great War, the War to End all Wars, or more commonly in the modern age, simply the First World War, i.e., it was the first of many. However, at the time that it was fought (1914-1918) most people truly believed that it would be the final war from which peace and prosperity would bloom for all time. Unfortunately, they were very, very wrong...

In 1918 Year of Victory: The End of the Great War and the Shaping of History, Ashley Ekins, head of the Military History Section at the Australian War Memorial, has compiled a fascinating collection of essays by many of leading, modern historians on the history of the First World War. These essays strive to answer a single question with a myriad of answers, namely "What is the real legacy of the Great War, when you draw aside the veils of patriotism and anti-warism?"

There are fifteen essays in this ground breaking book that focus on the final year of the war and how the events of 1918 have shaped history ever since. No matter what your interest is in this book, be it the military or world history, political science, or simply curiosity, you will find that these essays will forever change how you look at the war. What is more important, it will also open your eyes to the far ranging impact that it has had on history—a legacy that is still being felt today.

Contributors to this volume include Jay Winter (Yale University), Robin Prior (University of Adelaide), Gary Sheffield (University of Birmingham), Elizabeth Greenhalgh (University of New South Wales), Peter Hart (Imperial War Museum), James Goldrick (Australian Defence College), Tim Cook (Canadian War Museum), Martin Crotty (University of Queensland), and many more. These scholars are the tops in their field and they bring an international, albeit English speaking perspective, to the discussion on how the First World War has shaped modern history.

The essays that you'll find in this thought-provoking book include:

• Stabbed in the Front: The German Defeat in 1918
• The Cost of Inexperience: Americans on the Western Front, 1918
• Fighting to Exhaustion: Morale, Discipline and Combat Effectiveness in the armies of 1918
• Bloody Victory: The Canadian Corps in the Hundred Days Campaign
• The Peace Settlement of 1919 and its Aftermath
• Ninety Years On: Recent and Changing Views on the Military History of the First World War

This sampling will give you an idea of the breadth and scope of the essays in this volume. It may be trite to say, but this book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the history of the First World War. The essays are assessable to both general readers and scholars alike. In addition, scholars and those seeking to delve deeper into the subject will be delight to find that this volume includes detailed endnotes that will allow you to follow up on sources, as well as suggested reading lists that will aid you in learning more about this pivotal event in world history!