Book Review: Diana Preston, A Higher Form of Killing: Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare, New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2015

Diana Preston, A Higher Form of Killing: Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare, New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2015. A Higher Form of Killing: Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare is an awe-inspiring account of the role technology played in one of the largest conflicts of the twentieth century thus reflecting on both political and social history of World War I. Diana Preston demonstrates the ethical impact of warfare while providing a concise analysis of the three most influential technological advances that revolutionized World War I: the development of chlorine gas, the Unterseeboots or U-boats, and the Zeppelin. The book is broken down into twenty-two chapters to include the origins of each technology, the role these advancements played in World War I, and the lasting impact they have had on modern warfare. The author uses eye witness accounts from the perspective of both the Allied and Central Powers, situating the reader in the immediate reality of warfare. From there, a predominantly unbiased analysis outlines the extent to which these technologies affected the nature of warfare within the context of World War I itself. And finally, Preston makes a concerted effort to demonstrate that these advancements during World War I are still felt today, including the current conflict in Syria. The