11 h 20 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Europe’s armies stand ready, its trains wait, and the next great war exists only on the page.
The Great War of 189— imagines a European conflict and tells it as if it were history. Published in 1892, this early work of future war fiction brings together soldiers, journalists and military thinkers. Philip Howard Colomb, Archibald Forbes and John Frederick Maurice help turn firsthand knowledge into a forecast of how war might begin, spread and be fought.
Rival powers face one another across a Europe bound by treaties and old suspicions. Reserves must be called up, trains loaded and troops sent to the frontiers. At sea, fleets bring trade, coasts and ports into the struggle. Each contributor follows the field he knows best, making organisation and strategy—not a single hero—the centre of the story.
What you’ll discover
- War through expert eyes See how soldiers, naval writers and correspondents imagine a conflict still to come.
- Alliances under strain Explore a political map where treaties and old suspicions shape the prospect of war.
- The race to mobilise Follow the practical demands of calling up reserves and moving armies by rail.
- Beyond the land battle Discover how fleets and control of the seas draw ports and trade into conflict.
- An early imagined future Encounter future war fiction rooted in the weapons, armies and fears of its age.
Who will love it
For readers who love military history, the origins of 1914, and the early history of science fiction and future war tales.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Experts imagine the war before it comes
- The alliances of Europe set the stage
- Armies and railways decide the first moves
- The sea, the press and the lasting lesson
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 11 h 20 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 4 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear La Grande Guerre de 189— in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
La Grande Guerre de 189—
Soldiers, naval experts and journalists imagine how Europe's armies, fleets and alliances turn fear into war.
Challenging10–20 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
The Great War of 189- is a forecast of the next big European conflict, written as if it were history. It was put together in the early 1890s by a team of men who knew war at first hand.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Experts imagine the war before it comes
The first idea is the method. Instead of one novelist inventing a war, the editors gathered professionals and let each write about his own field. Soldiers wrote about armies, a naval author wrote about fleets, and a war correspondent wrote as an eyewitness would.
This gives the book the tone of a report from the future. The authors set the war in a year left blank, 189 followed by a dash, so that any year of the decade could stand in. They wanted readers to feel that the events were close and possible, not distant fantasy.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about La Grande Guerre de 189—
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Great War of 189- about?
It is an imagined account of a future war between the great powers of Europe, written in the early 1890s. Experts on armies, navies and diplomacy each describe part of the conflict as if it were real history.
Who wrote The Great War of 189-?
Seven authors wrote it, including P. H. Colomb, Archibald Forbes, Charles Lowe, F. N. Maude, John Frederick Maurice, David Christie Murray and Frank Scudamore. Most were soldiers, naval writers or journalists.
Is The Great War of 189- a true story?
No. It is a fictional forecast, though written by people with real military experience. The war it describes never took place in that form, and the year is left blank on purpose.
The author
Philip Howard Colomb
British admiral and naval writer
Philip Howard Colomb (1831–1899) was a British naval officer and writer. He was born in Scotland and served in the Royal Navy. His books included Naval Warfare (1891). He also contributed to The Great War of 189—, published in 1892. He died in Hampshire, England.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
