Good approach, but does not go far enough

I’ll start with the excellent parts of this book, which were the description of soldiers’ experience during the war, and the final chapter exploring the conditions for the rise of the Nazi party, and the beginnings of WW2.
Now for the not so great part. Without a doubt partly due to my own decision to listen to the audiobook (the narrator of which just somehow did not suit me) rather than read the paperback, I was largely bored throughout the 15 hours of this narration. I was interested and hopeful going into the book, that the more inclusive approach to the causes and impact of WW1, it’s linking to the wider social and artistic currents before, during and after, would also mean that a more balanced attention is given to the experience and impact of women, but I was quickly disappointed to find that the author treats women as mere side notes, “done to’s” rather than doers, and subjects for the pleasure and purposes of men, rather than important agents and actors in the war. Ok, the book was written 20 years ago, and the wider-spread recognition of women as wholesome parts of the human race, rather than mere smaller, weaker versions of men is a relatively new phenomenon, but the exclusion of the female experience still means this book is a bit of a one-sided bore, which says little new. To the author’s credit, the male experience, especially that of the soldiers is beautifully examined and written.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful