The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914

By Christopher Clark

Book Overview

"A monumental new volume. . . . Revelatory, even revolutionary. . . . Clark has done a masterful job explaining the inexplicable." -- Boston Globe

One of The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of the Year - Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History)

Historian Christopher Clark's riveting account of the explosive beginnings of World War I.

Drawing on new scholarship, Clark offers a fresh look at World War I, focusing not on the battles and atrocities of the war itself, but on the complex events, diplomatic history, and relationships that led a group of well-meaning leaders into brutal conflict.

Clark traces the paths to war in a minute-by-minute, action-packed narrative that cuts between the key decision centers in Vienna, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, London, and Belgrade, and examines the decades of history that informed the events of 1914 and details the mutual misunderstandings and unintended signals that drove the July Crisis forward in a few short weeks.

Meticulously researched and masterfully written, The Sleepwalkers is a dramatic and authoritative chronicle of the causes of WWI and Europe's descent into a war that tore the world apart.

Christopher Clark's definitive account untangles the intricate web of events that plunged a continent into chaos.

A Balkan Powder Keg: A deep dive into the complex politics of the Balkans, focusing on the role of Serbian nationalism and the events in Belgrade and Sarajevo that directly triggered the conflict.The Tangle of Alliances: A minute-by-minute narrative that cuts between the key decision centers in Vienna, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, and London to reveal the misunderstandings and miscalculations that doomed the continent.Diplomatic Failures: An analysis of the complex relationships and unintended signals between leaders that transformed a local crisis into a continent-spanning catastrophe.The Path to War: Rather than focusing on the battles, Clark examines the decades of history that informed the events of 1914, providing a fresh and authoritative chronicle of Europe's descent into war.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061146668
• ISBN13: 9780061146664
• Release Date: March 2014
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 736 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Not fair to read the last chapter to see who won.

I have always been a Barbara W. Tuchman (The Guns of August) reader and always will be; however, Christopher Clark, as a professor of modern European history, can write rings around her. I am not a fan of histories that highlight dates and events as if they were somehow divorced from reality. Even U.S. history has always been here at least as long as I have. I have no concept of the antiquity of our world other than what I can read about. I read several versions, so I do not have to take one person’s view or word. Somehow, I have a gap in history from a couple of thousand years ago until now. Yes, I took schooling that gave names and dates; however, I mean real history. I rely on writers like Jacob Bronowski (The Ascent of Man) to fill in the gaps. Then one day Christopher Clark wrote The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914. I already knew the bare bones of the reasons and even the details of many of the battles. It was required to study in the U.S. Army, as even though no two wars are alike, the reasons and methods are universal. I was surprised to find that what I learned was not really about war; it was all about the history of people and attitudes that created the modern states in Europe. It fills in the gaps from Homer to WWI (Actually starts around the 1890s). It even explains most of today’s Europe. Part of a team I work with daily is in Sofia (Bulgaria). Now I understand their history as well, if not better than mine. I must warn you that you will have to reread this book, as it covers a great deal of time. Also, rereading after you know what will happen makes more sense. You will also have to take diversion breaks to pick up books on the individual people. He also points out that you can read forever about different people/countries' views on who is responsible for the war. For my part, just the history alone is worth reading this book. So, it is not good to try to read the last chapter to see who won. I have purchased both the Kindle (with Audible narration) for listening to during commutes at work and a hard copy for evening reading.