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Looking for a new epic World War I read? We’ve assembled a list of the best World War I books for you, one for each day of the week. Each of these books provides an in-depth look into the fascinating and unbelievably tragic story of the Great War, including the political, military, and economic dynamics leading up to the conflict, intricate details about the battles, and the tumultuous aftermath. And, all offer insights that readers will find relevant to the world today, with lessons that still resonate: the road to war is not inevitable; the consequences of peace can be as destructive as war itself.
If World War I books are your specialty, you probably already know that each new publication offers some new details and looks at the conflict from a slightly different lens. Even subject matter experts can find new details about the conflict in each of these books. If you are new to the subject, check out the haiku and take your pick of reading adventures. (And we’ve even got one for readers who love old photographs!) If you are looking for a new “to be read” book, check out the best World War I books today.
1. A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914-1918
by G.J. Meyer
A Review, via Haiku
History oft told.
With emphasis on background.
A fuller story.
2. The First World War
by John Keegan
A Review, via Haiku
Have time just for one?
Narrative and history,
Checks all the boxes.
3. A Storm in Flanders: The Ypres Salient, 1914-1918: Tragedy and Triumph on the Western Front
by Winston Groom
A Review, via Haiku
Three battles, four years.
A new, horrid way of war.
World forever changed.
4. Tommy’s War: The Western Front in Soldiers’ Words and Photographs
by Richard van Emden
A Review, via Haiku
A war, in pictures.
Flesh and blood; lives, dreams, and hopes—
Time restored, preserved.
5. The Guns of August
By Barbara Tuchman
A Review, via Haiku
As the lamps went out
A drama never surpassed
As told by the best
6. The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914
by Christopher Clark
A Review, via Haiku
Old window, new view.
The days before, power, strife.
Paved the way for war.
7. The Western Front
by Nick Lloyd
A Review, via Haiku
Vivid: Builds upon
The tale told by greats: Tuchman,
Then Keegan, now, Lloyd.