1913 cover art

1913

The Eve of War

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1913

By: Paul Ham
Narrated by: Christopher Oxford
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About this listen

Christmas 1913: In Britain, people are debating a new dance called ‘the tango’. In Germany, they are fascinated by the wedding of the Kaiser’s daughter to the Duke of Brunswick. Little did they know that their world was on ‘The Eve of War’, a catastrophe that was to engulf the continent, cost millions of lives, and change the course of the century. And yet behind the scenes, the Great Powers were marching towards what they thought was an inevitable conflict.

In this controversial and concise essay, the military historian Paul Ham argues that the First World War was not an historical mistake, a conflict into which the Great Powers stumbled by accident. Nor was it a justified war, in which uncontained German aggression had to be defeated. Instead the politicians and generals of the day willed the war, and prepared for it - but eventually found themselves caught up in an inferno they could no longer control.

Paul Ham is the author of the forthcoming 1914: The Year the World Ended, to be published by Random House in Britain in 2014. He has previously written the acclaimed Sandakanz, Kokoda, Vietnam: The Australian War and Hiroshima Nagasaki. A former Australia Correspondent of the Sunday Times, he was born in Sydney and educated in Australia and Britain. He now lives in Sydney and Paris.

©2013 Paul Ham (P)2014 Audible Studios
Military War Imperialism Soviet Union

Critic Reviews

"[A] vivid, comprehensive and quietly furious account...Paul Ham brings new tools to the job, unearthing fresh evidence of a deeply disturbing sort. He has a magpie eye for the telling detail" (Ben Macintyre, The Times)
"Provocative and challenging… A voice that is both vigorous and passionate" (Christopher Sylvester, Daily Express)
"Controversial...Well documented and stringently argued" (Peter Lewis, Daily Mail)"
All stars
Most relevant  
If the author's view is correct then the leaders of the various countries leading up to the war should be condemned by history.

The Inevitable War

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I wanted a better understanding of how the first world war could have spread in 1914, this book gives a good account but I really struggled to stay listening. it might just be that I am not smart enough for a book like this, it may also be just a boring read/ listen.
I think I needed the attitudes and lives of people, politicians and militaries at that time to come alive for me rather than just an outpouring of facts.

informative but tedious.

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Excellent snapshot of the lead up to world war 1 which appears to be refreshingly unbiased.

Excellent short review of the background to ww1

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The different perspective and a balanced level headed dispassionate view of what led to WW1. It does not easily let the national leadership of the various nations off the hook rather holds them better to account.

A different & insightful analysis of the lead up to WW1

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