Author:Gregor Dallas
On the night of 7 November 1918 French troops at La Capelle, on the Western Front, noticed a soft halo develop in the fog over no man's land. They heard the rumble of cars, then perceived the vague form of a huge white flag: the Germans were crossing the line to seek peace. But who were these Germans and what exactly did they represent? By the time they had signed an armistice, four days later, not even they knew. The Kaiser's Reich had collapsed and Germany faced chaos, while the war in Eastern Europe continued. This book traces the transition from war to peace across Europe. It follows the movement of armies over the northern plains, their collapse, their demoblization, and the effect this had on the material life of people. In Russia there had already been a revolution. In Germany, there were attempts to overthrow the provisional republican government. In Poland new wars broke out. At the same time, there was celebration in the West at the announcement of the Armistice. And the United States entered European politics with a new part to play. Dallas follows these dramatic events from the perspective of five capitals: Berlin, Paris, London, Moscow and Washington. In Berlin the cabarets and beer halls are open, while there is shooting in the streets. In the walled city of Paris, the peacemakers assemble to respond to the call for a League of Nations. Pantomime season opens in London, where Lloyd George holds elections and reorganizes his War Cabinet; John Maynard Keynes of the Treasury worries about debts. Contemporaries describe Moscow as a scene of desolation; but Lenin insists on setting up the Third International. Washington is divided between those who want to open America to the world, and those who would prefer the world to go away. The start of peace is more complex and fascinating than the start of war; it sets the habits and builds the patterns of life for generations to come. This book weaves politics, ideas, social life, fears, aspirations and harsh realities into a seamless reconstruction of life experienced at a great turning-point of history.
A book that is both sensible and sophisticated, scholarly and very readable
—— Simon Sebag MontefioreGellately sets a high standard... Lucid prose and vivid examples make the book admirably accessible to non-specialists... it also engages expertly in one of hte most closely fought historiographical battles of past decades, the Historikerstreit
—— The EconomistApproachable... The book is strong in highlighting the almost unbelieveable terror and utterly ruthless assault on humanity in both regimes
—— Ian Kershaw , BBC History MagazineFascinating… It has enough tragedy, comedy, farce and horror to fill a dozen fat novels, and enough bizarre characters to people them
—— Suzi Feay , Financial TimesWise is a terrific researcher and storyteller. Here she has woven a series of case studies into a fascinating history of insanity in the 19th century
—— Kate Summerscale , Guardian Books of the YearDeeply researched and gripping...it makes for harrowing reading
—— A.N. Wilson , Mail on SundayAn illuminating look at an area of social history that inspired Wilkie Collins among others
—— Sebastian Faulks , Daily Telegraph, Books of the YearExcellent... One often feels as if one is actually present at the scenes she describes. There can be no higher praise... Inconvenient People is as interesting a work of social history as you are ever likely to read.
—— Anthony Daniels , SpectatorFascinating and chilling, Inconvenient People reads like a series of Victorian novels in brief - only all the tales are true
—— Bel Mooney , Daily MailThis superlative study opens the door on the cruelty of the quacks who locked up lost souls
—— Edward Pearce , IndependentSeveral riveting cases Sarah Wise has unearthed for this fine social history of contested lunacy in the 19th century... Wise has given us a fascinating book that teems with rich archival research. The pictorial sources are an added boon and make for a wonderfully illustrated addition to the history of the 19th century
—— Lisa Appignanesi , Daily TelegraphRich, gripping and moving mix of social history, psychiatry and storytelling
—— Your Family TreeA dark and disturbing investigation...trenchant and disturbing book
—— John Carey , Sunday TimesThere is so much to interest and entertain in this book, which is enhanced by over eighty informative illustrations
—— Gillian Tindall , Literary ReviewA wonderfully engaging book
—— Jad Adams , Who Do You Think You Are MagazineFascinating book (4 stars)
—— Michael Kerrigan , ScotsmanWise reopens 12 uncontested lunacy cases from the 1800s, meticulously exploring the details of each and recreating the stories with a page-turning eye for a great narrative
—— IndependentSarah Wise knows how to grab the reader’s attention with phrases that would have done Bulwer-Lytton proud. But the book’s readability does not disguise its scholarship. This is a valuable contribution to our understanding of nineteenth-century
I thrilled to Sarah Wise’s Inconvenient People, an enthralling study of those who fell foul of Victorian mad-doctors and greedy relatives
—— Philip Hoare , Sunday TelegraphIt makes for a harrowing read, but much of it is also hilarious, and as gripping as the most lurid Victorian melodramatic novel. Yet again, one closes a book with the impression that beneath the polished mahogany surfaces and shimmering silks of Victorian interiors lurked Hell itself
—— A. N. Wilson , Mail on Sunday
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