The Truth of the First World War
The Unseen German Archives
Will be published approx. on 25. February 2027
Book
Hardback
544 pages
978-0-7156-5536-8 (ISBN)
Description
Common wisdom has it that the German records of the First World War were mostly destroyed by Allied bombing during the Second World War. In this revelatory work, the result of 15 years of primary research, Peter Barton uncovers the letters, diaries, prisoner testimony, intercepted conversations, and myriad other intelligence reports still stored in the German national archives.
The enormous cache of unseen material is housed in archives all over Germany, parts of it covered in dust. For the astonishing fact is almost nobody has looked for them.
The discoveries force us to question what we know about the war, including the German experience. Most extraordinary are stories that can be linked directly to contrasting Allied records. Peter Barton's painstaking researches now reveal: identified spies at the heart of the Entente leadership; intelligence coups by the German high command prior to key battles, which led to the war lasting so long; prisoner testimony, captured letters and diaries from captured Allied soldiers contradicting what they told folks back home; records of war crimes performed by Allied soldiers; and much more.
The Truth of the First World War is set to change our understanding of the First World War, arguably still the most influential event of modern history.
The enormous cache of unseen material is housed in archives all over Germany, parts of it covered in dust. For the astonishing fact is almost nobody has looked for them.
The discoveries force us to question what we know about the war, including the German experience. Most extraordinary are stories that can be linked directly to contrasting Allied records. Peter Barton's painstaking researches now reveal: identified spies at the heart of the Entente leadership; intelligence coups by the German high command prior to key battles, which led to the war lasting so long; prisoner testimony, captured letters and diaries from captured Allied soldiers contradicting what they told folks back home; records of war crimes performed by Allied soldiers; and much more.
The Truth of the First World War is set to change our understanding of the First World War, arguably still the most influential event of modern history.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Duckworth Books
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-7156-5536-8 (9780715655368)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Peter Barton is a historian, archaeologist, author and film-maker; and leading light in primary research on the First World War. His previous discoveries include the forgotten British and German panoramas of the trenches, and major excavations on the Western Front. His resulting books include The Battlefields of the First World War, The Lost Legions of Fromelles, and four other acclaimed works on the war. He has also written, produced and presented for TV including the BBC's three-part The Somme 1916, the documentaries The Underground War, The Soldiers' Pilgrimage, and had excavations featured in several Channel 4 Time Team episodes. He is secretary of the All Party Parliamentary War Graves and Battlefields Heritage Group.