Collision of Empires

The War on the Eastern Front in 1914

By: Prit Buttar

Narrated by: Roger Clark

Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

The fighting that raged in the East during the First World War was every bit as fierce as that on the Western Front, but the titanic clashes between three towering empires - Russia, Austro-Hungary, and Germany - remains a comparatively unknown facet of the Great War.

With the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war in 2014, Collision of Empires is a timely expose of the bitter fighting on this forgotten front - a clash that would ultimately change the face of Europe forever. Drawing on firsthand accounts and detailed archival research, this is a dramatic retelling of the tumultuous events of the first year of the war, with the battles of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes in East Prussia followed by the Russo-Austrian clashes in Galicia and the failed German advance toward Warsaw.

©2014 Prit Buttar (P)2017 Tantor

Unique

I enjoyed this initial presentation of the forgotten Eastern Front of World War One. I recommend listening between 1.2 and 1.5 speed.

Excellent Military History

Fantastic book if you’re a fan of military history. Excellent narration and fascinating subject that is difficult to find material that is anywhere close to what you find here. 10/10.

WW1 the east side

obe the detailed books on the early days of WW1 ever. The writer has exceeded anything I have ever read on tbe early days of the Eastern front. incredible detail and brilliant analysis of the personalities and the battles makes this book a must for any history lover.

difficult to follow, but still good

I don't know much about the Eastern Front WW1, so this was hard to digest...

For those with an interest in Serious History

it was a good story, interesting to me but not to very many people. I enjoyed learning about a theater of WW1 that I wasn't familiar with.

it was worth listening too.

if you have a casual interest in history or in WWI, this book will fill some gaps in your knowledge.

An excellent and detailed read

As a student of tactical and strategic overview for at the international field, I enjoyed a lot such detailed analysis of the period.

good material

I am not a huge ww1 buff and this gave me a good amount of information. Narration was good, and Information was beyond what I would consider a cursory glance.

Lots of info but hard to follow

Maybe this isn’t a book I should’ve listened to while commuting but I found it difficult to follow. Lots of detail about the armies involved and plans but battle descriptions are basically “Tenth Corps attacked Three Corps pushing them back to Germanberg. Seventh Corps advanced on Seventh Corps unsuccessfully with heavy losses on both sides. Oh, this was Tannenberg by the way.”

Blow by Blow Account of Eastern Front

The book details moves, battles and leadership on th Eastern Front in Fall 1914. On the plus side, it reminds the reader of the humanity of the generals. Sometimes skilled, sometimes struggling with outmoded notions, and often both, they smash into the reality of railroads and defensive artillery.
The book counters historical stereotypes. Most readers know that Russian failures contributed to the overthrow of the tsar. The army of the first months had flaws that ultimately crippled it, but that ignores its strengths.
My only complaint is that the book's description suggested that it might cover a broader span and include the Empire of the Ottomans. I was unprepared for the slow (but thorough) narrative.

well written and thorough but

if you are not very familiar with the geography and order of battle it can be somewhat hard to follow. probably shouldn't be a first book on the eastern front to read but with a good background in the area, it is well worth reading for a deep dive into the opening months of the conflict.