My Review of A World Undone - The Story of the Great War by G.J. Meyer (#243, 4 Sept. 2024)

If you're like me, your knowledge of WWI was fairly shallow. It started in Sarajevo and ended on November 11, 1918 followed the Treaty of the Versailles. You probably know about the Western Front and the large number of casualties. That's about it. If that's your knowledge level, you absolutely must read A World Undone, which provides a readable and in-depth analysis of WWI from its causes, to its tactics to its aftermath. I loved this book! In this episode, I primarily focus on the why the lesson of Sarajevo is a much more apt precedent to govern US decision making rather than the lesson of Munich, the often cited lesson of appeasement that our inept leaders commons cite. This is required reading for anyone who wants to really understand the world today. WWI, in my view, had a much greater impact upon our world than even WW2. Indeed, some of those battles are still being fought in Palestine for example. All of the conflict of today was set in motion by WWI and what happened in Sarajevo in 1914. I also gained a new appreciation for Neville Chamberlain and do not think he has been given his due, in light of what had actually happened during the Great War, the war to end all wars. The decision to mobilize was not quite as easy as our modern leaders make it seam. He had his reasons for slowing the road to war and avoiding the mistakes of Sarajevo in 1914. .