The focus of this efficient study is distinct from the usual perspective. Storey looks at the environmental and technological factors that played a globally significant role in the unfolding of World War I. He contends that the war fundamentally changed the ways in which people took in their surroundings and the manner in which we relate to machines. Before the war, technology, from the viewpoint of industry, was part of the modern age—there to be harnessed. But once technology advanced the tools of war, the results of conquest become greater than anyone had experienced or imagined. A good choice for college students.

Library Journal

This narrative history of the Great War will better inform general readers concerning the causes and effects of the conflict, which continues to shape the destinies of millions of people across the world. . . . Storey offers some fresh perspectives that make this survey interesting and useful. . . . This is a well-written, easily digestible examination of a seminal conflict.

Booklist

In addition to providing a clear and insightful retelling of a familiar story, this 'concise global history' emphasizes the role of the environment and of new and old technologies. . . . The most important global dimension of the 1914–1918 war was its consequences. There are sections specifically about the environment and technologies, and Storey weaves references to them throughout his narrative. . . . Recommended.

Choice Reviews

The book is particularly valuable for Storey's analysis of the generally overlooked environmental factors that affected operations, his discussion of the role of non-Europeans in the struggle, and his look at the long-term global impact of the war, in terms of its social, cultural, and political effects, not only on the belligerents but also on colonial peoples worldwide. This is an useful work for anyone interested in the First World War, and a particularly valuable one for those lacking much prior knowledge of the conflict, and as a recommended reading in a modern history course.

The NYMAS Review

Intended to offer the non-specialist reader an overview of the main events of the First World War, this summary of the conflict is a useful guide for those unfamiliar with the subject—and a valuable initial introductory text for junior undergraduates. A particular strength of Storey’s work is its emphasis upon the war’s global impact; the latest research findings on the war in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are incorporated here, as is the most recent work on colonial laborers and troops employed by the European powers. There is also throughout a thematic emphasis upon the role of environmental and technological factors during the conflict that underpins the general narrative; Storey conveys, with particular insight, the technological changes in weaponry that occurred both before and during the war and how the conflict changed societal views of scientific progress.

Journal of Modern History

Storey is at his best when he is simply laying out the political and military history of the war, which he covers in three chapters. From the European trenches, to the war at sea, to the conflict in Africa, and to events in the Pacific, he does a succinct job of summarizing the highlights of the struggle and explaining how what was happening on one front impacted another.

History Teacher