World War I

November 1, 2016

Tucker (formerly Virginia Military Inst.) begins this work with an informative overview of the Great War and two insightful chapters on its causes and consequences. Next are 83 articles of one to two pages on the conflict's most prominent battles, participants, terms, and treaties. All entries are signed and include resources for further reading. Maps, photographs, selected primary documents, an extensive chronology, a detailed bibliography, and a comprehensive index supplement the text. The monthly chronology is particularly noteworthy, as it tracks events on an almost daily basis, providing users with a sense of how situations unfolded over the war's duration. At the same time, the guide's many maps lay out battle campaigns precisely and clearly. All 54 contributors, primarily military historians and specialists from American universities and war colleges, write in a credible, descriptive, judicious, and readable style. This title does not replace narrative classics such as Winston Churchill's The World Crisis, John Keegan's The First World War, or Hew Strachan's The First World War. Instead, like Colin Nicholson's The Longman Companion to the First World War, it is a commendable ready reference that admirably reaches its intended audience. VERDICT A quality reference work that condenses a monumental amount of information in an accessible, concise, and instructive manner. For general readers and student researchers.--Rob Tench, Old Dominion Univ. Lib., Norfolk, VA

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2016
In the midst of its centennial, there has been an outpouring of new literature concerning the First World War. Prolific writer and editor Tucker continues his long and prestigious career by offering a means to gain a solid, basic understanding of the conflict, gathering an array of experts in 83 alphabetized entries related to the war. Subjects as varied as African Americans and World War I, Chemical weapons, Lusitania, and Sergeant Alvin York are concisely handled in one- to several-page entries. Each entry is followed by suggestions for further reading, and an extensive bibliography is included. In addition to the main body of subject entries are a collection of 21 annotated primary documents, such as the Zimmerman telegram and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. An overview of the war, including its causes and consequences, is included, along with maps and other pertinent illustrations. There is also a detailed chronology of war-related happenings and an appendix of historical-dilemma essays, such as the relative success or failure of the Treaty of Versailles peace settlement. With clearly written prose and a range of resources, Tucker's book lives up to its title claim as an essential reference guide for high-school and college students looking for a start to a research project or any reader who is seeking a better understanding of the Great War and its ramifications.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)