The War of the World cover art

The War of the World

History's Age of Hatred

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The War of the World

By: Niall Ferguson
Narrated by: Saul Reichlin
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $43.99

Buy Now for $43.99

About this listen

Penguin presents the unabridged edition of The War of the World by Niall Ferguson, read by Saul Reichlin.

The world at the beginning of the 20th century seemed for most of its inhabitants stable and relatively benign. Globalising, booming economies married to technological breakthroughs seemed to promise a better world for most people.

Instead the 20th century proved to be overwhelmingly the most violent, frightening and brutalised in history, with fanatical, often genocidal warfare engulfing most societies between the outbreak of the First World War and the end of the Cold War.

What went wrong? How did we do this to ourselves? The War of the World comes up with compelling, fascinating answers. It is Niall Ferguson's masterpiece.

©2017 Niall Ferguson (P)2017 Penguin Audio 20th Century Military Modern World War Imperialism Socialism Middle East Russia Latin America Soviet Union Africa Self-Determination Middle Ages Imperial Japan Capitalism Interwar Period Iran Cold War

Critic Reviews

"A heartbreaking, serious and thoughtful survey of human evil that is utterly fascinating and dramatic." (Simon Sebag Montefiore, The New York Times)
"Unputdownable, controversial, compelling." ( The Independent on Sunday)
"The grenade lobbed into the cosy tea party of received wisdom." (Max Hastings)
All stars
Most relevant
A brilliant book which gives an insight into the history leading to the wars and also how the wars shaped our world long after they were supposedly over. A must read (or listen).

Best book about WWI and WWII and everything after.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A thorough perspective of WHY things had happened the way they were.
Excellent preview of events leading to WW1 n WW2.
A must-listen for history enthusiasts and humanitarians alike.

A probe into humanity's madness

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
At 34 and a half hours, this book requires commitment but it will be amply rewarded through the author's forensic analysis of the major conflicts of the 20th century. Appropriately, emphasis is given to the World Wars however the perspectives of both causes and issues are examined in ways not found in many other books on the subject.

The narrator's tone and speed gave gravitas to the subject matter but was never condescending or overplayed.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a serious examination of history's bloodiest century.

An incredible history of 20th Century conflict

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Niall Ferguson certainly has a way of altering your perception of the world's history and as a result; altering the way we see today's world. This book definitely has that effect on me. Whilst staying true to statistical analysis and professional historiography, Ferguson has also written this book in an extremely gruelling, emotional and dramatic flair which captivated me. The very fact he can switch to pop-culture references/light humour to disturbing and very graphic content is also seem less and appropriate. Bloody good book.

Daunting, Eye-opening and Dramatic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a worthwhile investment that will foster a deeper understanding of 20th century conflict. Up there with Ferguson's finest work.

astute overview

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a very interesting and evocative look at human behavior. unpleasant and brutal in many ways but looks of new insights

good read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This really takes a while. Now that its finished . I wont to hear it again. So much detail..its almost asks more questions than it answers...One thing i know for certain. NEVER trust Politicians.

Well Worth the Time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
there were times i had to stop disgusted with the depravity of mans inhumanity to man. Niall tells it like it was and pulls no punches and it is at times harrowing particularly genocide bits. Every child should study this book in school compulsory reading if ppl understood the primitive motives we all have and how dehumanising ppl can lead to bloodshed the world might be a better place at the expense of some nightmares after listening to this. i wish niall had naratted this book though it can be a bit flat narration at times.

Amazing but moving

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Important to look unflinchingly at the events of the 20th century but listening to the book likely isn't going to make you feel great. I like the recent history of the era and there were a few topics I hadn't heard much about before.

Fairly bleak stuff

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Thoroughly researched

Should be compulsory reading for high school students so they understand what darkness humans are capable of.

Scarily Good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.