'Usbourne Introduction to the First World War'

[Mark Hone]

The school librarian showed me a copy of this new book, together with a companion volume on the Second World War. They go out under the badge of the Imperial War Museum. Beautifully illustrated with links to a dedicated website, wonderful stuff and ideal for enthusing young Historians...except that the text could have been written (and possibly was) 30 years ago. I haven't gone through it line by line yet, but all the old legends seem to be in place. The tank was a wonder-weapon, Haig simply a stubborn idiot, the Battle of the Somme was all about the first day, we even get German generals describing the British Army as, you guessed it 'Lions Led by Donkeys'. Hew Strachan, John Bourne, Garry Sheffield, Paddy Griffith, John Harris and co are clearly wasting their time and should start writing about Hitler or Henry VIII instead. I am depressed that the Imperial War Museum has given its blessing to this warmed-over rehash which ignores virtually every serious book written on the war in the last 15 years. Mind you, the Second World War book dismisses the entire war in Burma in half a sentence as a lesser known campaign in which the Chindits took part. Good job proud 14th Army veteran Hone senior isn't around to read that! I'd be interested in other Pals' views on this series.

[Justin Moretti]

I'd have thought the people at the IWM would have done their homework better before letting tripe like this go out under their name. Still, Usborne were never the brightest stars in the sky, even when I was a kid (my first year of primary school is thirty years ago now).

[Take on me]

maybe there right, its so hard to just go on arguing, no ones views ever seem to change, whats the point