Explosive ... [Wawro] states the heart of his case with the simple directness of the best revisionist history ... Methodically and utterly convincingly ... vivid and evocative prose ... an account of the war that will give even lifelong history enthusiasts whole worlds to ponder.
This very thick book makes a fast entertaining read that illuminates facts about the times on almost every page. It serves an appropriate tribute to the Americans of the First War on the centennial of their service and sacrifice ... a solid contribution to scholarship on the general history of the United States military in the First World War...For such a work of scholarship, however, the prose is too informal at times, using phrases like 'lipstick on a pig,' 'by hook or by crook,' and contractions. Such important scholarship deserves more sophisticated wordage.
[Wawro] admits that the strength of his conclusion surprised even him and that he came to it only after extensive research in the national archives of the belligerents ... Throughout his narrative—both a stirring story and a careful work of military history—Mr. Wawro is adept at explaining tactics and keeping generals and units on both sides straight.
