 |
|
Title: World War I: The African Front: An Imperial War on the Dark Continent
ISBN: 1933648902
Author:
Edward Paice
Publicate Date: 2008-09-08
Publish: 2008-09-08
List Price: $35.00
Average Customer Rating: 5.0
Format: Hardcover
 |
|
|
|
|
Amazon Lowest New Price: $17.50
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $21.76
Amazon Merchant Price: $23.10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Customer Review: |
|
1: The best by far
The Great War in Africa has very few books to define it, and in some cases the better books are just windows into particular experiences. Not so with Paice's book... it treats the war in Africa as the epic that it was and deals with it in all its shades.
During the 19th Century the continent of Africa was almost entirely divided up amongst the European powers (and the Ottoman Empire) and so when the Great War broke out in 1914 and caused all the European powers to be drawn in as well it was inevitable that the conflict would also involve the colonies of the belligerents. The book mostly centers around the war as it was fought in German East Africa, as the small but tenacious army of that colony continued the war right up to the armistice, but it does not neglect the fighting in the Sahara, conflicts in Abbyssinia and other skirmishes on the continent. Aspects such as the prewar "gentleman's agreement" which stated that colonies would not become battlefields in order to preserve European domination, propaganda, the role of Islam in the war and the complicated South African political situation are all dealt with in this book.
The very best part of this book, however, is the collection of maps which actually make the fighting understandable without having to refer to an old atlas every five minutes. This is the only book I've seen so far which actually lays out many of the key battles rather than relying on a written description of them. I would have like to have seen more photos included but those that are in the book are excellent.
I can't recommend this book highly enough!
|
2: The battlefield extended to every corner of the globe
It was called a 'World War' because it seemed that for the first time in recorded human history, the battlefield extended to every corner of the globe. Written by former Cambridge history scholar Edward Paice, World War I The African Front: An Imperial War on the African Continent is an in-depth historical chronicle of the East African front of World War I. Though British troops quickly overwhelmed the threat of German naval bases in Africa, the land war would prove to be much more deadly to troops and civilians alike. The in-depth discussion of the horrors of war provides not only an meticulously objective description of the battlefront, but also a visceral understanding of why veterans of the war in France claimed to prefer life in the trenches to serving in East Africa. A handful of black-and-white photographs enhance this worthy addition to World War I history shelves. Especially recommended for public and college library collections.
|
|
|
|
|
