November 1918: Triumph and Tragedy in the Final Days of WW1

by Gordon Brook-Shepherd

Overview

The account of the Great War portrayed in this book spans the last hundred days of the conflict; from the surprise blow struck by the British at Amiens on 8 August, down to the signing of the Armistice which ended the war three months later.

For the first time all of the sub-plots in the story are given their proper weight, as we see Germany's allies being knocked out one by one. The triumphs and tragedies are told in the words of the witnesses themselves, humble and mighty. Mr Brook-Shepherd's original eye-witness sources range from the eighty-nine-year-old former Empress Zita of Austria-Hungary (the last surviving member of Europe's old ruling order), to private soldiers who fought on both sides of the barbed wire.

In describing the death of Old Europe and the suicide of the Empires, the author provides a far-reaching overview of the new world order that dawned in November 1918. The result is a panorama rich in colour and human interest which provides a background to the events of that year; an essential lesson for readers even today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781448217175
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	09/06/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	592
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Gordon Brook-Shepherd (1918–2004) studied history at Cambridge, where he took a double first just before the Second World War. He served in various campaigns and ended up as a Lieutenant-Colonel on the staff of the British High Commissioner in Austria. In 1948 he joined the staff of the Daily Telegraph as a foreign correspondent based in Vienna and for the next twelve years traveled widely in Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East, eventually becoming an editor at the Sunday Telegraph. He published many books on military and monarchic history, and in 1987 was awarded an OBE for his services to historiography and journalism.
Gordon Brook-Shepherd (1918–2004) studied history at Cambridge, where he took a double first just before the Second World War. He served in various campaigns and ended up as a Lieutenant-Colonel on the staff of the British High Commissioner in Austria. In 1948 he joined the staff of the Daily Telegraph as a foreign correspondent based in Vienna and for the next twelve years traveled widely in Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East, eventually becoming an editor at the Sunday Telegraph. He published many books on military and monarchic history, and in 1987 was awarded an OBE for his services to historiography and journalism.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Editor's Note

1. Bombon
2. Anniversaries
3. Man's Black Day
4. Post-Mortems
5. 'We Have Come to Die For You'
6. The 'Gardeners' Harvest
7. 'Jerusalem by Christmas'
8. A Beleaguered Fortress
9. Home Fires
10. The Peace Broker
11. Landslides
12. 'Finis Austriae'
13. November Nightmares
14. Flight and Surrender
15. 11 November 1918

Footnotes
Source Notes
Bibliography
Appendices
Index
A Note on the Author