1918

There have been countless histories of the First World War, examining the bloody horrors of the conflict itself as it unfolded, enveloped millions and eventually came to a conclusion. Gregor Dallas's ambitious work examines the twisting road to peace and the complexities of its aftermath. At the book's heart is a question that has long intrigued the author: 'How do wars end?' Dallas's exploration of this problem delivers an enthralling history which moves from the field of battle - 'the vast spaces of churned-up soil manured with the dead' - to Armistice Day and beyond. Dallas looks at the differing views on events from the major capitals involved: Berlin, Paris, London, Moscow and Washington. This provides a sense of the varied perspectives of each of the major players. We learn of the 'physical, almost erotic experience' of the Parisian peace celebrations, of bloody post-armistice atrocities in Eastern Europe, renewed conflict in Poland and the arrival of the USA as the new major player in global politics. This is truly history on a grand scale, with a narrative that offers both a broad overview and the most personal of insights. Readers are given a powerful sense of the vast scale of the war, and its intimate details - the political arguments, negotiations and compromises. An epic history of one of the defining periods of our age. (Kirkus UK)