Instrument of War

The German Army 1914-18

By: Dennis E. Showalter

Narrated by: Julian Elfer

Drawing on more than a half-century of research and teaching, Dennis Showalter presents a fresh perspective on the German Army during World War I. Showalter surveys an army at the heart of a national identity, driven by - yet also defeated by - warfare in the modern age, that struggled to capitalize on its victories, and ultimately forgot the lessons of its defeat.

Exploring the internal dynamics of the German Army, detailing how the soldiers coped with the many new forms of warfare, Showalter shows how the army's institutions responded and how Germany itself was changed by war. He goes on to detail the major campaigns on the Western and Eastern Fronts and the forgotten war fought in the Middle East and Africa, revealing operational strategy, the complexities of campaigns of movement versus static trench warfare, and the changes in warfare.

©2016 Dennis Showalter (P)2018 Tantor

Excellent listening

For me this was a new perspective of the great war from the 'other' side.

The last word on the Kaiser's Army.

Showalter's depth of knowledge on the first World War is borderline amazing. furthermore he manages to weave that knowledge into a great narrative. this isn't necessarily a book for everyone but if you've already read a lot on the first world war it's a great book.

Remarkable!

Mr. Showalter gives us an amazing account of the German Empire in the first World War. Detailed accounts of troops and Field Marshals leading up to the war and all of the major battles, personal struggles of the troops in combat, effects of the vast amount of weaponry used for the first time in such a war, and it goes into some of the politics of the war that led to its end. Read this book, you won't be disappointed!

Good, never great, always enjoyable

this is a solid history of the imperial German army 1914-1918. it is strongly focused on the western front although there is appreciable time and effort given to the eastern front as well. salonika, East Africa, Italy, are mentioned in passing only. the author has some unusual prejudices, like a tangible scorn for tanks. overall though, there is a good survey of the material with enough personal flavor to hold a reader's interest. the book has very little by way of a thesis statement- it's a useful and enjoyable overview, and it breaks no new ground.
good narration and the narrator can handle the German and French terms and locations well.

German Side Of WW1

Excellent book. German Armies War, just a dash of Navy. Not a General History Of All sides. Some new material for me at least. Well reasoned and written