Preston, Diana.
A Higher Form of Killing: Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the
Nature of Warfare. NY: Bloomsbury Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-1-62040-212-2
Diana Preston takes three seemingly unrelated events of 1915 to weave a tale that is a thrilling, informative, and interesting history. Generally the first use of poison gas, the sinking of the Lusitania, and the bombing of London by Zeppelins are examined as singular events, but Preston demonstrates how these events were catalysts in overturning long-held views on the conduct of war, a flouting of the Hague Conventions rules of war, and an escalation of scientific warfare that continues to resonate today.
In
A Higher Form of Killing, each episode is examined in the context of the war and in relation to the other two episodes. The main characters are introduced, the science behind the weapons is examined and then a recounting of the event using first person perspectives when and where available. Finally, the author looks at the lasting effects each event had on the rest of the war and on future wars and conflicts.
Preston manages to balance her look at the three separate events by combining these acts of German aggression into an examination of how the world thinks of weapon systems before, during, and after the First World War. Read
A Higher Form of Killing and make up your mind regarding her thesis.
A Higher Form of Killing
Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare
- See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/a-higher-form-of-killing-9781620402122/#sthash.47mGrhTd.dpuf
A Higher Form of Killing
Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare
- See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/a-higher-form-of-killing-9781620402122/#sthash.47mGrhTd.dpuf
A Higher Form of Killing
Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare
- See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/a-higher-form-of-killing-9781620402122/#sthash.47mGrhTd.dpuf
A Higher Form of Killing
Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare
- See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/a-higher-form-of-killing-9781620402122/#sthash.47mGrhTd.dpuf
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