A Military Atlas of the First World War by Arthur Banks

-The- Atlas of the First World War. With the exception of expert historians, I can't imagine why anyone interested in the First World War wouldn't find it vital.

Newcomers to the genre of specialist atlases might be unaware of their function: unlike the traditional geographical 'roadmap', atlas' usually illustrate movements, changes and relationships as well as location. A Military Atlas of the First World War is precisely this kind of work, a history of World War One as expressed through over a hundred black and white maps. Consequently, you'll find background information, troop distribution, battles, areas which were bombed and much more.

The atlas is divided both chronologically and thematically: chapters dedicated to the air and sea campaigns follow material on the land war, the latter being ordered by year. Although the maps lack the finesse and cartography of other publications, the emphasis, which is on usefulness, readability and getting the information across, is spot on. The resulting charts are thus easy to read and follow, even if many benefit from close study.

However, the title is rather misleading. This isn't simply an atlas, for within you'll find numerous illustrations, short explanations and comparatives - including '6 important machine-guns' - as well as exploded diagrams, adding further weight to what was already a superb reference work. The Atlas might not stand alone as a single-volume history of WW1 as a detailed narrative will provide far more detail, but it's a massive concentration of information presented visually through no-nonsense illustration, a perfect long-term companion to your reading.