Jankowski, Paul

Readers with an interest in reflective philosophical history will appreciate this book. Those looking for a more straightforward narrative of the period and how the two world wars relate might find Ian Kershaw’s To Hell and Back a better choice.

Ultimately, the author has no clear answer to the question "why Verdun?" and has an equally difficult time describing the larger meaning of the war. This is not necessarily a failing: Are there answers? Jankowski's careful analysis of voluminous French and German records should appeal to World War I specialists.

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