This book is the second volume of a four-volume history of the First World War. It covers the period from the opening of the Dardanelles Campaign in September 1914 through the first stage of the Battle of Verdun, stopping in mid-April 1916. The author, John Buchan, was a British historian, novelist, and politician. He served as Director of Intelligence during the First World War and later became Governor-General of Canada. Buchan's history of the war is a detailed and comprehensive account of the conflict. It is written from a British perspective and focuses on the grand strategy and politics of the war. Buchan also provides vivid descriptions of the battles and the experiences of the soldiers who fought in them.