The Kaiser’s Army: The German Army in World War One
While I was expecting this to be a standard history of the Great War with maybe a new spin on the turbulent times, this was a unique perspective. While there is a general overview of the war with almost every theater being touched upon, it is much more – a story of the Kaiser’s Army.
This is the most comprehensive look at the German army before, and during, World War I that I have ever read, and I have read a great deal on the subject. Stone covers every aspect of the army, starting with the Infantry and the NCOs, to the Officer’s Korps up to the German High Command. It goes into the training, organization, and equipment used by the different units of the army. All of the various support services are surveyed from the Engineers and Pioneers down to Veterinary Korps.
While the detail can be rather dry at times, Stone sprinkles in enough real-life incidents to keep the reader engaged. This book is not for everyone, and I would not recommend it to the casual reader who wants a basic understanding of World War I. I would, however, highly recommend it to everyone who has more than a casual interest in the war, and is interested in seeing what makes an army work. Stone has done an extraordinary job in pulling all of this information together and presenting it in a sensible and manageable way.