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: The Paris Conference 1919 and its attempt to end the war. She won the 2002 Samuel Johnson Prize for Peacemakers, and her most recent book Uses and Abuses of History was published by Profile. The past Provost of Trinity College at the University of Toronto, she is now the Warden of St. Antony's College at Oxford University.
The War that Ended Peace tells the story of how intelligent,
well-meaning leaders guided their nations into catastrophe. These
epic events, brilliantly described by one our era's most talented
historians, warn of the dangers that arise when we fail to
anticipate the consequences of our actions. 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. She brings to life the
personalities whose decisions, rivalries, ambitions, and fantasies
led Europe to "lay waste to itself" and triggered decades of global
conflict. Hers is a cautionary tale of follies a century in the
past that seem all too familiar today.
*Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution*
The War That Ended Peace is 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*
splendidly well written - fluent, engaging, well-paced and, despite
the grim subject, often entertaining
*New Statesman*
magisterial...rich and suggestive... MacMillan is a wry and humane
chronicler of this troubled world... lively and sophisticated... as
MacMillan observes in a closing sentence that is well worth taking
to heart, 'there are always choices'
*London Review of Books*
She writes prose like an Audi - purring smoothly along the
diplomatic highway, accelerating effortlessly as she goes the
distance. This is a ground-breaking book, decisively shifting the
debate away from the hoary old question of Germany's war guilt.
MacMillan's history is magisterial - dense, balanced and humane.
The story of Europe's diplomatic meltdown has never been better
told.
*Spectator*
The Canadian historian laces The War That Ended Peace with deft
character sketches and uses sources incisively...MacMillan escorts
the reader skilfully through the military, diplomatic and political
crises that framed the road to war from 1870 to 1914.
*FT*
Margaret MacMillan, the author of Peacemakers , which won numerous
prizes, is that wonderful combination - an academic and scholar who
writes well, with a marvellous clarity of thought. Her pen
portraits of the chief players are both enjoyable and illuminating.
Among the cascade of books arriving for the anniversary, this work
truly stands out
*Times*
MacMillan is a perceptive guide to the thought processes of the key
players
*Mail on Sunday*
excellent, elegantly written book...as fine an assessment of the
reason peace failed as any yet written
*Evening Standard*
Few historians have better credentials to write about the origins
of the First World War than the Oxford scholar Margaret
MacMillan...with its lovely elegant style, keen eye for human
foibles and impeccable attention to detail, this is one of the most
enjoyably readable books of the year
*Sunday Times*
A sweeping but immensely readable account...an impressive feat
*Prospect*
MacMillan's superb and very entertainingly written guide to this
Europe - a Europe, as she shows, similar to our own in some ways,
but very different in others - will be warmly welcomed by different
kinds of reader. Those who "know" the subject will find new
perspectives and new ways of looking at it, while those less
familiar with it could hardly find a better introduction or a
better basis for judging some of the centenary polemics we now
face.
*Times Higher Education*
[A] richly textured account of the road to war
*Guardian*
Magnificent...The War That Ended Peace will certainly rank among
the best books of the centennial crop.
*The Economist*
vivid, gripping and scholarly
*Independent*
monumental...sharply observed, pacy book
*FT Books of the Year*
the most balanced and readable study of the first world war's
causes
*FT Books of the Year*
a fascinating must-read book for anyone who wants to understand the
centenary of this event next August, and Ireland's place within
it
*Irish Times Books of the Year*
brilliant...the author is not merely a fine scholar...but she is
also terrifically sensible, a rare combination
*Mail on Sunday Books of the Year*
...one of the most incise and brilliant narratives of the causes of
the greatest tragedy of the 20th century...
*The Sydney Morning Herald*
Ask a Question About this Product More... |