Review from Journal of Military History
by Eric W. Osborne, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia

Terence Finn’s work is a narrative of the First World War in which the author attempts the daunting task of covering the entire conflict in the space of less than one hundred pages. Finn asserts that such a work is necessary given the innumerable scholarly treatments that may not appeal to audiences that know little about the war and seek a general knowledge. The author envisions this book as part of a wider one that will treat all of the wars fought by the United States.

Finn’s approach to the war is largely chronological, comprising nine chapters. The coverage is perforce sweeping in nature in order to address his goal of providing a general account of the war. Many of the assertions concerning the conflict are not new, nor should they have to be, given the author’s intent. An example of these contentions is the notion that the British blockade of Germany contributed greatly to the outcome of the war through depriving Germany of essential materials for their war machine. A particular strength of the work is the final section of selected questions and answers concerning the war. Contained within these answers is material on which country bears responsibility for the conflict, the popularly held idea that generals in this war were completely incompetent, and an appraisal of the impact of United States entry into the war.

All told, the intended audience will certainly come away with a better knowledge of the war. The lack of detail, however, does detract from the book, as a conflict on the scale of a world war is oftentimes complex. A glaring example of the need for more coverage is the treatment of theaters other than the Western Front and their relation to the conflict. This work focuses on the Western Front, with the Eastern Front, the Italian Front, and the war in the world outside Europe receiving few pages of coverage. While the Western Front is the principal theater, Finn’s approach can leave the reader without an appreciation of the war as a truly world war or a clear understanding of matters such as logistics and grand strategy. In terms of grand strategy, more attention to the impact of the entry into the war of such powers as the Ottoman Empire, Italy, Romania, and Bulgaria would be useful.

The lack of coverage in areas such as these is in part the result of half the book being devoted to the entry and role of the United States in the war. This heavy emphasis is not surprising, given that the author envisions this work as part of a wider study of the United States at war. Even so, this degree of attention to the United States is somewhat problematic since the author acknowledges that America was not responsible for Allied victory. He holds to a generally accepted view of historians that American participation was important primarily in terms of shoring up the morale of the French and British and for critical finance of the Allied war machine.

Matters of coverage aside, Terence Finn has managed to produce a work that offers general insight into the war in a number of pages that many might believe impossible. It is a work that certainly provides a good starting point for examination of the Great War by those that know little of the conflict.

Review from Cross & Cockade, April 2010 Issue

The fact that this book is written by an American for a, primarily, American audience, as part of an intended series that will cover all conflicts in which the USA has been involved, all within 76 pages, may deter British readers. I would advise against that.

What Terence Finn has done is to produce an excellent summary for the war, with its origins, political decisions and key battles described briefly and succinctly and placed in context. The American involvement, from 1917, may be pronounced but there isn’t any glorification of that nation’s part and other allied efforts get their fair mention.

The role of the air services receives brief mention, again with an American emphasis, but that should not detract from the book’s value.

There are plenty of books out there that cover individual campaigns in minute detail but anyone wanting a clear, concise history of the war could probably do no better than to obtain a copy of this slender volume.

The Western Front Museum Recommended Booklist,
The Netherlands
Click here for review in original context

‘When Europe Went Mad: A Brief History of the First World War’ is not your typical World War I read. Terence T. Finn offers his readers the important facts of one of the most significant wars in human history, yet presents it in a concise and comprehensive style meant for the common reader and history buff alike. 'When Europe Went Mad' recounts the harrowing events of a war now nearly a century behind us, and boldly tells the story of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Finn reminds the reader that well before General Dwight D. Eisenhower led American G.I.s into combat (1943-1945), John J. Pershing took an American army 'over there' and made history. With grace, Finn resurrects an understanding of this war's significance and ensures that its worldwide impacts, and the lives lost in the name of it, are never forgotten.