The Sleepwalkers is historian Christopher Clark's riveting account of the explosive beginnings of World War I. Drawing on new scholarship, Clark offers a fresh look at World War I, focusing not on the battles and atrocities of the war itself but on the complex events and relationships that led a group of well-meaning leaders into brutal conflict. Clark traces the paths to war in a minute-by-minute, action-packed narrative that cuts between the key decision centers in Vienna, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, London, and ...
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The Sleepwalkers is historian Christopher Clark's riveting account of the explosive beginnings of World War I. Drawing on new scholarship, Clark offers a fresh look at World War I, focusing not on the battles and atrocities of the war itself but on the complex events and relationships that led a group of well-meaning leaders into brutal conflict. Clark traces the paths to war in a minute-by-minute, action-packed narrative that cuts between the key decision centers in Vienna, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, London, and Belgrade, and he examines the decades of history that informed the events of 1914 and details the mutual misunderstandings and unintended signals that drove the crisis forward in a few short weeks. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, The Sleepwalkers is a dramatic and authoritative chronicle of Europe's descent into a war that tore the world apart.
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I'll compare this book to Barbara Tuchman's seminal "Guns of August". This is a more complete and detailed review of the historical conditions and events that lead to the war. From an academic perspective this is a superior account to Tuchman's.
The author does create a narrative structure but the academic nature of the discussion sometimes drags. A excellent discussion is made of the conflicting nature of governmental policies and personalities
I would recommend this title for WWI buffs who are interested and motivated by the topic. For the novice or casual reader "Guns of August" would be a better choice.
The author has public lectures for viewing at the Gresham College, UK site. One of his lectures lead me the book.
Charles E. H
Feb 27, 2014
The author provided me with a wider under standing of the many people and States involved in Middle Europe prior to World War I.