World War I

World War One spurred revolutions and counter-revolutions across the world, paving the way for the tyranny of Hitler and Stalin and an even greater global slaughter, World War Two, a generation later. Through the prism of history, World War One stands as perhaps the ultimate "War of Choice," a conflict that could have been avoided through skilled diplomacy and better judgment. Almost all of the men and women who experienced World War One -- in the trenches of France and Flanders, or the deserts of Arabia or the fields and factories of the home front - are gone. With them the world risks losing many of the lessons of that war and an appreciation of the pain and sacrifice endured by those who lived it. On the centennial of the end of World War One, The Associated Press has collected a series of stories tracing the arc of the conflict, from Sarajevo where the Austrian heir was slain through the agony of trench warfare and America's entry, which turned the tide against Germany and its allies.The "War To End All Wars," began with stirring words of patriotism and ended with 14 million dead, empires destroyed and the social order torn asunder. "World War I: An AP Centennial Commemorative Edition" features more than 130 photographs from the AP Archives and serves as a must-have for anyone interested in the history of military conflicts.