The Pulitzer prize has been the sought after goal of many thousands of writers ever since it was first awarded in 1917. In 1932, the Pulitzer in the history category was awarded to General John “Black Jack” Pershing for his two volume memoirs spanning his time in command of the American Forces in World War One. Given that Pershing should receive such an illustrious prize in the literary arena outside of his army career was a just testament to his multi-faceted and outstanding talents. As the First World War raged into its fourth year, the lifeblood of the Allied forces on the Western Front laid spilt on the fields of Northern France and Flanders. Their only hope in facing the German onslaught lay in the newly mobilized American forces, who had joined the struggle against the central powers in Germany and Austro-Hungary. It would take a commander of towering strength, firm loyalty, and iron determination to change the small American peacetime army into the millions strong wartime colossus it was to become. Such a man was John “Black Jack” Pershing. AS he took command, Pershing was faced with four almightily difficult challenges to overcome in order to achieve success; the first to turn the raw American Doughboys into an army, trained in the new tactics of the industrial carnage of the Western Front. Secondly, to ship enough men, and supplies across the U-boat infested Atlantic to create such an army. Thirdly, to keep his allies hands off American manpower that became trained and ready for battle, they should fight under American flags and American leaders. It was only once the first three huge challenges were overcome could he think about his fourth, how his new troops could fight and beat the battle-hardened German army: but fight and beat them they did! A Pulitzer Prize winning classic!

The Pulitzer prize has been the sought after goal of many thousands of writers ever since it was first awarded in 1917. In 1932, the Pulitzer in the history category was awarded to General John “Black Jack” Pershing for his two volume memoirs spanning his time in command of the American Forces in World War One. Given that Pershing should receive such an illustrious prize in the literary arena outside of his army career was a just testament to his multi-faceted and outstanding talents. As the First World War raged into its fourth year, the lifeblood of the Allied forces on the Western Front laid spilt on the fields of Northern France and Flanders. Their only hope in facing the German onslaught lay in the newly mobilized American forces, who had joined the struggle against the central powers in Germany and Austro-Hungary. It would take a commander of towering strength, firm loyalty, and iron determination to change the small American peacetime army into the millions strong wartime colossus it was to become. Such a man was John “Black Jack” Pershing. AS he took command, Pershing was faced with four almightily difficult challenges to overcome in order to achieve success; the first to turn the raw American Doughboys into an army, trained in the new tactics of the industrial carnage of the Western Front. Secondly, to ship enough men, and supplies across the U-boat infested Atlantic to create such an army. Thirdly, to keep his allies hands off American manpower that became trained and ready for battle, they should fight under American flags and American leaders. It was only once the first three huge challenges were overcome could he think about his fourth, how his new troops could fight and beat the battle-hardened German army: but fight and beat them they did! A Pulitzer Prize winning classic!

Combines evocative photographs and illustrations in a treasury of stories by 11 international writers that were inspired by artifacts connected to World War I. Illustrated by the Kate Greenaway Medal-winning artist of A Monster Calls.

Includes the First World War Illustrations Pack – 73 battle plans and diagrams and 198 photos A fascinating history of the First World War seen through the eyes of a highly respected and connected War Correspondent. Lieut.-Col. Charles à Court Repington was a career soldier in the British Army; renowned for his service in the Sudan, Burma and the Boer War, he was drummed out of the service for having an affair with the wife of British official in 1902. He was well known as an excellent staff officer and remained closely tied to the comrades that he had fought and served with including the future leaders of the British Army in the First World War. Cutting his teeth as a war correspondent during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, he was ideally placed as the War Correspondent of the Times when war broke out in 1914 to report on the unfolding tragedy. Using all of his connections and influence he visited the Western Front many times and was in intimate correspondence and contact with the senior figures of the British Army such as Sir John French, Sir Douglas Haig, Herbert Plumer and Horace Smith-Dorrien. No great respecter of private conversations or confidences he lost many friends when he wrote The First World War; his work was critical, well-written, caustic and unbiassed. These classic memoirs remain as valuable and vivid as they when they were written. This first volume covers the outbreak of the war to early 1917.

Includes the First World War Illustrations Pack – 73 battle plans and diagrams and 198 photos A fascinating history of the First World War seen through the eyes of a highly respected and connected War Correspondent. Lieut.-Col. Charles à Court Repington was a career soldier in the British Army; renowned for his service in the Sudan, Burma and the Boer War, he was drummed out of the service for having an affair with the wife of British official in 1902. He was well known as an excellent staff officer and remained closely tied to the comrades that he had fought and served with including the future leaders of the British Army in the First World War. Cutting his teeth as a war correspondent during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, he was ideally placed as the War Correspondent of the Times when war broke out in 1914 to report on the unfolding tragedy. Using all of his connections and influence he visited the Western Front many times and was in intimate correspondence and contact with the senior figures of the British Army such as Sir John French, Sir Douglas Haig, Herbert Plumer and Horace Smith-Dorrien. No great respecter of private conversations or confidences he lost many friends when he wrote The First World War; his work was critical, well-written, caustic and unbiassed. These classic memoirs remain as valuable and vivid as they when they were written. This second volume covers the period from spring 1917 until the end of the war.

Includes 3 maps and 7 illustrations The command of military forces in combat is unlike any other field of human endeavor. If war is the ultimate form of human competition, then the commander is the ultimate competitor. The commander operates in an environment of chance, uncertainty, and chaos, in which the stakes are, quite literally, life and death. He or she contends against an adversary who is using every means, fair or foul, to foil his plans and bring about his defeat. The commander is ultimately responsible for every variable that factors into military success or failure-training, logistics, morale, equipment, planning, and execution. The commander reaps the lion’s share of plaudits in victory, but also must accept the blame in defeat, warranted or not. Very often the line that separates fame and ignominy is slender indeed. It is not difficult to identify “great” commanders, though the overwhelming majority of generals who win battles are never considered “great.” Something more than a favorable ratio of wins to losses is needed to establish greatness...The truly great commander is generally considered to be one who attains the unexpected or the unprecedented; one who stands above his contemporaries through his skill on the battlefield, or through the sheer magnitude of his accomplishments. ...The commanders selected were masters of warfare in their particular time and environment. Each capitalized upon the social, political, economic, and technological conditions of his day to forge successful military forces and win significant and noteworthy victories that profoundly altered the world in which he lived.-Dr Christopher R. Gabel. The Great Commanders covered by this volume are Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, John J. Pershing, Erwin Rommel and Curtis E. LeMay