{"product_id":"with-our-backs-to-the-wall-9780141020792","title":"With Our Backs to the Wall","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFINANCIAL TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR and DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOKS OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eShortlisted for the 2012 DUKE OF WESTMINSTER MEDAL FOR MILITARY LITERATURE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the end of 1917 Britain and France faced a strategic nightmare. Their great offensives against Germany had been calamitous, leaving hundreds of thousands of young men dead and wounded for negligible territorial gains. Despite America''s entry into the war the US army remained tiny, the Italian army had been routed, and Russia had dropped out of the conflict. The Central Powers now dominated Central and Eastern Europe, and Germany could move over forty divisions to the Western Front. Yet only one year later, on 11 November 1918, the fighting ended in a decisive Allied victory. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStevenson''s rich and compelling book retells the story of 1918, and with penetrating original research goes to the very roots of this instrumental turning point in modern history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is impossible ... to exaggerate how impressive this book is -- David Crane * The Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eBrilliant and comprehensive ... a major contribution -- A. W. Purdue * The Times Higher Education Supplement *\u003cbr\u003eThis is, as one would expect from a historian of Stevenson's great learning and analytical power, a masterly study * The Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eAn immensely useful study, emphasising the crucial importance of morale, political stability and trust -- Max Egremont * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eStevenson brings to his study a formidable authority and mastery of the sources, and judgments that seem admirably measured and nuanced -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eA fascinating military narrative ... masterly -- William Anthony Hay * Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003eA magnificent and exhaustive account of the war's final year ... Stevenson has a deserved reputation as one of the world's leading authorities on the war -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003eA magisterial single volume synthesis of all the themes to deliver a punchy, incisive reboot of WW1 history that is never a dull read * Warships International Fleet Review *\u003cbr\u003eAn outstanding contribution -- Frank Ellis * Quarterly Review *\u003cbr\u003eA monumental study deserving of a wide readership by scholars and generalists alike * Library Journal *\u003cbr\u003eStevenson's grand scope, his international perspective, and his reliable judgements, combined with crystal-clear writing, have produced an exemplary book, a formidable contribution to our understanding of the Great War and the twentieth century * English Historical Review *\u003cbr\u003eThe strength of the book lies in his ability to weave together astute analysis of the antagonists' abilities and weaknesses ... Told with verve and analytical vigour, Stevenson's book is a compelling and authoritative study of one of the most significant turning points in 20th-century military history -- Robert Gerwath * The Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eStevenson's detailed, lucid description of the development and maturation of that ability reflects encyclopedic mastery of published and archival sources while synergizing military, economic, political, and social-cultural factors. It is a professor's page-turner. It is also a door-opener to any reader seeking to understand the Great War's last stage * Publishers Weekly *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49369132990807,"sku":"9780141020792","price":17.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141020792.jpg?v=1730128512","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/with-our-backs-to-the-wall-9780141020792","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}