Another perspective is offered in the resounding words of Tony Novosel - "It was ‘The War to End All Wars - a senseless slaughter that set the stage for the bloodiest century in human history. Yet, it was more than just a war between nations. It was a war between what was and what was to be. The ‘old world’ was dying, and the new world had yet to be born. People of all classes and nations saw it as some great cleansing fire that would accelerate this battle and lead to a better world. But when it was over, more than men had died in the mud of the battlefields. The naive dreams of progress, along with the innocence of the pre-war world, faith in God, and hope in the future all died in the trenches of Europe."

Sample thumbnails taken from the collection. Click on image to view larger picture.

This 3-CD set from A2ZCDS is a historic retrospective of the Great War that covers every angle. The audio section transports you back to the battlefront reports, propaganda and rhetoric that the world’s people heard as the battles raged. The texts included in the American Military History category include a fascinating range of perspectives in prose that alternately analyze, criticize and glorify the warfront activities of WW1. The photographic segment is a study of masterful images that have been selected and compiled for maximum informational impact (don’t miss the fascinating ‘Before and After’ section). Also included here are cartoons, postcards and artwork associated with the WW1 Era.

To fully relive the issues prevalent at the time of the Great War, browse the newspaper clips category for a journalistic blow-by-blow account of the pivotal period between February 8, 1918 and June 13, 1919. This, particularly, is an absorbing personal research tool and will enlarge your horizons in no uncertain way.

In short, this extraordinary 3-CD set is a tour de force of one of history’s darkest epochs, worthwhile revisiting for its informational content as well as a sociological study of mankind’s chronic warmongering leanings.

EDITORIAL REVIEW:

When World War I was launched, it was optimistically believed that it would ‘be over by Christmas’. What ensued was a drawn out four-year period of extremely bloody aggression that took a heavy toll on young enlisted men, primarily in the fields and trenches of Northern France and Belgium. The technology of warfare considered state-of-the-art while the hostilities developed and unfolded is, of course, visible only in museums now. However, it did manage to consume the lives of 10 million soldiers and civilians, so it was certainly effective. The fighter plane, poison gas and the tank came into being during this era, so there was definitely an element of ‘progress’. And what it lacked in technology, it made up in enthusiasm.

It does not really matter what our personal standpoints on war through the ages are - the fact is that it will apparently always be with us. Mankind has, over and over again, displayed an insatiable appetite for decimating itself on the battlefield. Mass destruction on any serious scale first saw the light of day during the Great War of 1914 -1918. We are perfecting the art constantly, and it would seem that we will do a complete job of it one day. If this is at all preventable, it will only be with the wisdom born of thoughtful hindsight.

Watch the Remembering World War I 3-CD set with your family. Encourage discussion on what you see, hear and feel afterwards. The present generation is in the unique position of evaluating World War I and the one that followed - and the Third will either be fought or foiled by them....