UPK's 'Schlieffen Plan' Named Best Military History

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 4, 2015) —  The University Press of Kentucky (UPK) book "The Schlieffen Plan: International Perspectives on the German Strategy for World War I," edited by Hans Ehlert, Michael Epkenhans and Gerhard P. Gross and translated by retired Army Major General David T. Zabecki, has been named the winner of the Arthur Goodzeit Book Award given by the New York Military Affairs Symposium. Instituted in 1991, and named after the late Arthur Goodzeit, long-time member of NYMAS and first editor of the NYMAS Newsletter, the award has been presented annually to an original work in military history which, in the opinion of the NYMAS editorial committee, is of unusual value.

For generations, historians have considered count Alfred von Schlieffen's writings to be the foundation of Germany's military strategy in World War I and have hotly debated the reasons why the plan, as executed, failed. "The Schlieffen Plan" brings international scholars together to reassess Schlieffen's work as a field marshal for the first time in decades, offering new insights into the renowned general's impact not only on World War I but also on nearly a century of military historiography.

The contributors to "The Schlieffen Plan" draw on newly available source materials from European and Russian archives to demonstrate both the significance of the plan and its deficiencies. They examine the operational planning of relevant European states and provide a broad, comparative historical context that other studies lack.
 

The book is part of UPK's Foreign Military Studies series which features original works, translations and reprints of classics outside the American canon that promote a deeper understanding of international military theory and practice.

"We were honored to hear about the 'The Schlieffen Plan' receiving the Arthur Goodzeit Book Award," said series editor Roger Cirillo. "With the series, we seek to promote a broader international perspective on military theory and practice, and this award goes a long way toward bringing these voices into a conversation with U.S. military historians."

Hans Ehlert, Michael Epkenhans and Gerhard P. Gross are historians at the Bundeswehr Center of Military History and Social Sciences in Potsdam, Germany. Retired Army Major General David T. Zabecki is the author of "The German 1918 Offensives: A Case Study in the Operational Level of War" and editor in chief of the four-volume encyclopedia "Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History." He is an honorary senior research fellow in the War Studies Program at the University of Birmingham, located in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

UPK is the scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, representing a consortium that now includes all of the state universities, five private colleges and two historical societies. Led by Director Stephen Wrinn, its editorial program focuses on the humanities and the social sciences. Offices for the administrative, editorial, production and marketing departments of the press are found at UK, which provides financial support toward the operating expenses of the publishing operation.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu