The Modern Scholar

World War l: The Great War and the World It Made

By: Professor John Ramsden

Narrated by: John Ramsden

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

"The Great War", as it was known at the time, was also said to be the "war to end all wars". It seized all of Europe and much of the rest of the world in its grip of death and destruction.

The first truly modern war, it changed how war and peace would be conducted throughout the remainder of the 20th century and even to the present. The Great War was a time of "firsts" and opened the door to the modern era. Almost all the major developed countries had a role to play in this war, as they never had before. This was the first time for fighting on land, at sea, and in the air. Modern weapons and munitions were developed in previously unimaginable quantities.

By the end of the war, international politics, the relationships between the individual and the state, gender relations, and the role of artists and the media were all drastically changed.

World War I laid the foundation for the modern world. This course examines the major events of the war to further understand how they led to the shaping of this new world.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2004 John Ramsden (P)2004 Recorded Books

Europe in World War I

This course concentrates in explaining the politics in early twentieth century Europe. John Ramsden tries to expose Europe’s context when World War I occurred, its causes and consequences. The lectures drawn between the various countries involved in the conflict and its most important facts (battles). At the end the listener got a better understanding of this pivotal moment in world history.

Good course.

This was a good overview course. Well organized and presented. The questions format is a bit stilted, in my humble opinion.

A great overview of the Great War

This is my first Modern Scholar book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Professor Ramsden did a great job of providing a concise overview of how the war started and the war itself. He mentioned Ernest Hemingway's book "Farewell To Arms" as an excellent example of the war on ski's. I shall obtain the book to read as I found it on Audible. As a child growing up in California I read the poem "In Flanders Field" and pictured in my mind a grave yard field full of golden California poppies. Even though I have been to Europe and seen the fields of red poppies, the images of Flanders Fields had not changed in my mind until hearing Ramsden tell of the red poppies. One little pearl that Ramsden did not state was the fact that more poems were written about WWI than any war in history. I was fascinated by some of the similarity between WWI and WWII. If one had read history one could have anticipated the generals moves at time. I am off now to read more about WW1.

Great lectures, easy to listen to

Any additional comments?

I'm not a history nerd but i was curious about the events surrounding WWI since it is a much less widely publicized story than the Second World War. This lecture set offered the exact level of detail i was looking for. The narration was easy to listen to. It provided just enough information without drowning the listener in boring details. I would recommend it.

A very good overview of World War I

This lecture series is very informative and well presented. Professor Ramsden knows his subject matter well and feels confortable in presenting this to us.

My complaint tho is with his presentation. Professor Ramsden has this annoying habit of pausing mid sentence multiple times which makes this a challenging course to listen to. This might be typical of british lectorers but for a yank born in Brooklyn, it can be annoying.

That being said, once the listener becomes "immune" to the delivery style, this becomes an enjoyable and informative listen.

John Ramsden Takes Us Right To The Action!

I found this book to be fascinating as far as the author, John Ramsden, taking us back in detail to what is commonly referred to as "The Great War", WWI. A time when many of the European countries were emerging from their "fiefdoms" that was prevalent throughout the previous centuries, to a point where they desired more and more control over the European continent.

After all was said and done, the finger-pointing and blame was directed towards the country of Germany because of their idealistic and aggressive maneuvers that dictated both World War I and World War II. After World War I, Germany had to operate underneath the doctrine of the "Treaty of Versailles", which Germany fought against and moved away from during the rise of the Nazi regime, which of course led us into World War II.

This is a short, quick read, but it's fascinating and full of details that field in a lot of blanks that I had in regards to World War I.

I applaud the author, John Ramsdem, for a job well done in detailing the story of a story that has been told many times before!

Recommended

For someone who really didn't know an awful lot about WWI since WWII gets all the press, this was the perfect book to gain perspective on the times and the war itself. I really recommend checking this out. My only complaint is that I wish it was even longer and went deeper into each subject.

One of the finest in the series

What did you love best about The Modern Scholar?

I'm a huge fan of The Modern Scholar, using nearly every monthly credit to purchase a new course. John Ramsden's lecture on WWI ranks with the best I've heard, offering a master historian's perspective on a conflict that shaped the remainder of the 20th century. Being more familiar with WWII, I was largely ignorant of the geopolitical, literary, artistic, medical, military, and psychological ramifications of the first war. This course is essential for anyone seeking to broaden their historical understanding.

Explains It All Very Well

This is a really good lecture series that really left me satisfied that I learned something. I feel that listening to this series left me with very real understanding of what caused the war, what impact the war had on Europe, America and other global impact, and what the consequences of the war were both short and long term. I would have liked to have had some insight into the pandemic of 1918 added, but I really enjoyed listening to this and I learned a lot.

Great starting point on The Great War

Any additional comments?

This is a relatively small time commitment that packs a large amount of information in. WWI is almost never covered in depth in school, so this is a work that should hold a large amount of value for anyone who cares about 20th century history.

After listening to these lectures, I feel like I finally have some clarity in European history from 1914 - 1980... clarity that I didn't even realize was missing!