“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.”
Though it is largely overshadowed by the Second World War by the majority of historians, WW1 profoundly shaped the modern world we all live in today. Beginning following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June 1914 and formally ending with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, it completely reshaped the European continent.
The German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and Russian Empires, that had dominated the continent, were dismantled in the wake of the conflict, with nations like Poland and Finland forging their independence. World War One also brought with it sweeping changes to technology, religion, politics and attitudes across society. Join us here at What We Reading as we run you through some of our best WW1 books from 2022!
The Path Of Peace – Anthony Seldon
In The Path of Peace: Walking the Western Front Way, British historian Anthony Seldon takes readers on an emotive walk across WW1’s bloody battlegrounds. Inspired by a young soldier named Alexander Douglas Gillespie, Seldon’s journey takes him across 1,000 kilometres from the French-Swiss Border to the English Channel.
Trekking through some of Europe’s most breathtaking spots as well as the harrowing remnants of the trenches at Arras, Ypres and the Somme, The Path of Peace is a triumphant act of remembrance, inner peace, as well as the grief, loss and enduring legacy of the First World War.
On The Knife Edge – Holger Afflerbach
How close were Germany and the Central Powers to winning the First World War? It’s a question that would have hugely swung the history of Europe and one that many historians have attempted to answer since the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.
Using the latest diaries, memoirs and letters, Holger Afflerbach re-examines our understanding of the German war effort in On The Knife Edge. From the decision to go to war, how different views at home shaped the effort to our understanding of what the country’s end goals were, Afflerbach’s work is a new insight into how peace could have been much closer to Germany than most realise.
Russia: Revolution And Civil War 1917-1921 – Antony Beevor
Following its devastating losses during the First World War, Imperial Russia teetered on the brink of collapse by the time it ushered in 1917. What followed were two revolutions and a bloody civil war that eventually led to the rise of the Soviet Union.
In one of the best WW1 books from 2022, Antony Beevor takes readers across the turmoil of the Russian Civil War post-WW1. From the women working in overfilled hospitals to impoverished soldiers in the anti-Communist White Forces, Revolution and Civil War is the complete narrative of one of the world’s most defining conflicts.
The Facemaker – Lindsey Fitzharris
Lindsey Fitzharris brings to life the incredible openings of modern plastic surgery with The Facemaker. The book follows a New Zealander named Gillies who became interested in the field of plastic surgery at the close of WW1.
The First World War showed how the technologies of the front had eclipsed those in the medical field, but also crucially how injuries sustained on the battlefield impacted the wounded even after they had returned home. A hugely enthralling tale of how Gillies and his group of practitioners put back together some of the worst affected men on the Western Front, The Facemaker is a story of the wreckage and repair against all odds.
Check Out The Best Books On The Battle Of Verdun
Tannenberg 1914 – Michael McNally
The Battle of Tannenberg remains one of the most significant battles of World War One. Pitting two of the largest Empires of all time against one another, it saw the retreat of Imperial Russia out of East Prussia and the near-destruction of both its first and second armies.
Michael McNally, along with illustrations from Seán Ó’Brógáin, gives the battle the spotlight it deserves in Tannenberg 1914. From the initial skirmishes to the expansive mess, the battle became for the Russians, readers are walked through all the major movements and developments over the course of the battle. It also examines the intentions of both armies, how they were altered over the course of the engagement, and how innovative technologies introduced at Tannenberg would go on to dominate the remainder of WW1.
American Midnight – Adam Hochschild
Nominated for Best History and Biography in the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards, American Midnight is a WW1 book by Adam Hochschild. In it, acclaimed historian and bestselling author Hochschild takes readers through a turbulent and neglected era of American history, covering the country’s entry into WW1 as well as the turbulent and bloody years immediately after its conclusion.
From the role of President Woodrow Wilson to the brutal vigilante group sponsored by the Department of Justice, it presents a gripping narrative of intrigue, toxicity and the greatest threat to Democracy the USA has ever experienced.
Blood And Power – John Foot
Fascism is usually associated with the dark days of the 1930s and the Second World War. However for Italy, the first adoptee of this ideology, the seeds were sown in the fires of the Great War.
In Blood and Power: The Rise and Fall of Italian Fascism, historian John Foot explores the years between 1915 and 1945 in Italy in an effort to explain how it came to be, and why its impact can be felt even today. Drawing on decades of research, it tackles the shock left behind by WW1, and how Benito Mussolini was able to exploit the discontent and chaos in its wake.
Check out the Best WW2 Books from 2022!
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
