Paperback. Red cover with a black title.

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The First World War followed a period of sustained peace in Europe during which people talked with confidence of prosperity, progress and hope. But in 1914, Europe walked into a catastrophic conflict which killed millions of its men, bled its economies dry, shook empires and societies to pieces, and fatally undermined Europe’s dominance of the world. It was a war which could have been avoided up to the last moment-so why did it happen?

Beginning in the early nineteenth century, and ending with the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, award-winning historian Margaret MacMillan uncovers the huge political and technological changes, national decisions and — just as important-the small moments of human muddle and weakness that led Europe from peace to disaster. This masterful exploration of how Europe chose its path towards war will change and enrich how we see this defining moment in our history.

Reviews:

• The story of how intelligent, well-meaning leaders guided their nations into catastrophe. Immersed in intrigue, enlivened by fascinating stories, and made compelling by the author’s own insights, this is one of the finest books I have read on the causes of World War I — Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State
• Once again, Margaret MacMillan proves herself not just a masterly historian but a brilliant storyteller — Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution
• A masterful explanation of the complex forces that brought the Edwardian world crashing down. Utterly riveting, deeply moving, and impeccably researched, MacMillan’s latest opus will become the definitive account of old Europe’s final years — Amanda Foreman
• The definitive history of the political, cultural, military and personal forces which shaped Europe’s path to the Great War.

Margaret MacMillan is the author of Women of the Raj and international bestsellers Nixon in China and Peacemakers, which won the 2002 Samuel Johnson Prize. Her most recent book, The War that Ended Peace, was published by Profile. She is now the Warden of St. Antony’s College at Oxford University.