Friday, February 13, 2009

The Coming Of the War of 1914 - Winner, Non-Fiction, 1931

The Coming of the War of 1914
By: Bernadotte E. Schmitt
Scribner, 1930

I really don't have much to say about this book. I have mentioned before that I really struggle with the books that concern the history of warfare. I don't mind learning about what regular people did during the war, but you've lost me as soon as you start talking about battle tactics or political events leading to war - especially a world war that involves many different political entities. Bernadotte Schmitt is clearly an expert on the events that led up to World War I and he spends two volumes discussing those events (and placing the blame on Germany). Not a single human interest story! It is ALL politics. I would be interested to hear the opinion of a war buff or historian who could tell better than I if he was on point or not. Any of those out there???