Publisher's Synopsis
In 1914, prosperous countries across Europe at last mobilised their vast armies. Each nation was confident of victory. Instead, Europe destroyed itself. The First World War still haunts us all nearly a century after its outbreak. What was meant to be a grab for imperial loot or a settling of scores turned into a nightmare with millions of men killed by hideous technologies. Ultimately almost all the principal states engaged in the war were ruined, with even the notional winners irreparably damaged: the loot proved worthless and the world was doomed to an even more terrible settling of scores only 20 years later. World War One: A Short History is a brilliantly written, often very witty account, which makes a familiar story fresh and surprising.
