Author:Paul Ham
In this searing indictment of the rationale behind the First World War, Paul Ham argues that European leaders did not ‘sleepwalk’ into war, but that they fully accepted and understood the consequences of the decisions they were making.
In August 1914, the European powers plunged the world into a war that would kill or wound 37 million people, tear down the fabric of society, uproot ancient political systems and set the world on course for the bloodiest century in human history.
On the eve of the 100th anniversary of that terrible year, Ham takes the reader on a journey into the labyrinth, to reveal the complexity, the layered motives, the flawed and disturbed minds that drove the world to war. What emerges is a clear sense of what happened and why. 'To understand the past,' Ham concludes, 'and share that understanding, is the chief role of the historian. To understand the past is to liberate ourselves from its awful shadow and steel ourselves against it happening again.'
Praise for WW2 Ladybird Experts Series
—— -Shines a light on some of the darkest and most dramatic moments of the six-year conflict.
—— Daily MailThe artwork is gloriously retro, echoing the original Ladybird house style but containing completely up to date information.
—— Shiny New BooksOutstanding heroism...compelling. Kershaw's writing gives you a sense of "being there"
—— Daily ExpressFascinating, remarkable, riveting, terrifying. Kershaw does justice to the veterans and makes accessible their amazing story
—— Big IssueUtterly extraordinary - I have had few reading experiences like it - it's as if one is unravelling a terrible yet irresistible secret, the secret of death
—— Claire-Louise Bennett, author of 'Pond'The greatest contemporary Catalan novelist and possibly the best Mediterranean woman author since Sappho
—— David H RosenthalA heartbreaking, unforgettable read. One of the most important literary works from the second half of the 20th century
—— El CulturalIt is a total mystery to me why [Rodoreda] isn't widely worshipped. . . . She's on my list of authors whose works I intend to have read all of before I die. Tremendous, tremendous writer
—— John Darnielle, author of 'Wolf in White Van'One of the most radical works from the past century
—— El PaisThe novel is suspenseful, pushing the reader through the images, memories, and voices that flow within the protagonist's often confused mind as he develops into manhood. Just as the unnamed protagonist must navigate a world of contradictions, the novel reflects Rodoreda's own political, social, and literary exile while speaking of a tyranny that feels almost uncanny in its incantation
—— Bomb MagazineMercè Rodoreda is not just one of the most accomplished post-war Catalan authors; she is also widely considered, notably by Gabriel García Márquez, to be the greatest Spanish writer of the 20th century
—— Culture TripWe must be grateful to the Penguin European Writers series, a precious venture in these dark times
—— John BanvilleThe Czech nation will surely feel that he has done [Lata Brandisova] justice.
—— Robin Oakley , Literary ReviewFew historians could be better placed to investigate this subject than Keith Lowe . . . riveting
—— Evening StandardMagisterial. The biography of Maclean we have all been waiting for
—— Charles Cumming, author of the Thomas Kell seriesAdmirable… [a] compassionate, absorbing book
—— Miranda Carter , The Oldie[A] persuasive and polished biography
—— Sunday TimesRoland Philipps illuminates, in both broad and subtle strokes
—— John Lloyd , Financial TimesPhilipps does an admirable job of piecing together the spy’s tale
—— Mary Jo Murphy , Washington Post SundayPhilipps’s telling of the tale is masterly. He weaves a complex web of professional, psychological and marital themes into a wonderful fluent, coherent and compelling narrative
—— Xan Smiley , StandpointElegant, thorough and surprisingly exciting
—— Marcus Berkman , Daily Mail[A] superbly told tale
—— Daily Mail , Daily Mail, **Books of the Year**In A Spy Named Orphan Roland Philipps’s description of Donald Maclean’s psychological make-up chimes with what I have always felt about the Cambridge spies (Philby excepted) – namely, that their romance with the Soviet Union partook of patriotism as much as it did of espionage… Philipps makes the story and the slow uncovering of his treachery a gripping narrative and an overwhelmingly sad one
—— Alan Bennett , London Review of Books