From the political tensions that preceded World War I to the assassination that sparked it to the Treaty of Versailles that defined the terms of peace in its aftermath (and set the stage for World War II), Russell Freeman provides a comprehensive look at the “War to End All Wars.” Brief accounts of the experiences of individual soldiers from various nations on both sides of the conflict bring important personal perspectives to a narrative that gives a sense of the fear, misery, and drudgery that were part of being a soldier in the trenches and on the battlefield of this war that extracted a horrifying human toll. Freedman also looks at the war’s impact on the people and the landscape of towns, villages and other contested areas that formed the war’s front lines. The weapons of warfare, as well as the politics and propaganda of war, are also part of this astute account illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Source notes, a bibliography, and an index round out the volume. (Age 12 and older)

Nonfiction master Russell Freedman illuminates for young readers the complex and rarely discussed subject of World War I. The tangled relationships and alliances of many nations, the introduction of modern weaponry, and top-level military decisions that resulted in thousands upon thousands of casualties all contributed to the "great war," which people hoped and believed would be the only conflict of its kind. In this clear and authoritative account, the Newbery Medal-winning author shows the ways in which the seeds of a second world war were sown in the first. Numerous archival photographs give the often disturbing subject matter a moving visual counterpart. Includes source notes, a bibliography, and an index.