Table of Contents

* Figures * Tables * Illustrations * Acknowledgements * Notes on the Illustrations * Introduction * The Myths of Militarism * Empires, Ententes and Edwardian Appeasement * Britains War of Illusions * Arms and Men * Public Finance and National Security * The Last Days of Mankind: 28 June4 August 1914 * The August Days: The Myth of War Enthusiasm * The Press Gang * Economic Capability: The Advantage Squandered * Strategy, Tactics and the Net Body Count * Maximum Slaughter at Minimum Expense: War Finance * The Death Instinct: Why Men Fought * The Captors Dilemma * How (not) to Pay for the War * Conclusion: Alternatives to Armageddon * Notes * Bibliography * Index

About the Author

Niall Ferguson is Fellow and Tutor in Modern History at Jesus College, Oxford. He is the author of Paper and Iron, The House of Rothschilds, and The Pity of War ). He writes regularly for the Times Literary Supplement, and lives in Oxford.

Reviews

"The Pity of War is one of the most controversial histories to come along in decades. Niall Ferguson...offers a bold, revisionist account of the Great War." Washington Post--Washington Post

"A rich and provocative book, evocative and heartbreaking. Ferguson is a talented writer and a versatile scholar."--Atlantic

"An illuminating synthesis of current knowledge on the war. The reader will find plenty of fresh information and challenging ideas on the conflict's most important aspects."--New York Times Book Review

"Brings for the first time the carnage of 1914-18 into sharp, unmystified focus. This is analytical history at its mordant best. With all its other merits, The Pity of War is also a work of grace and feeling."--Economist

"Niall Ferguson, the enfant terrible of the Oxford history establishment...shatter[s] the display cases of the museum of World War I. Persuasive...affecting."--Boston Globe

"There is much to admire in The Pity of War...Niall Ferguson can confidently claim to have inherited [A.J.P.] Taylor's mantle."--New York Review of Books

Ferguson (Jesus Coll., Oxford) challenges much of the dominant historiography of World War I by redirecting questions from the traditional approach, such as whether the Schlieffen plan could have worked, to more complex issues, such as why German military superiority failed to achieve victory on the Western Front. His analysis and his multinational approach make for gripping reading; he is not afraid to challenge the conventional wisdom about the war, considering, for instance, whether Britain might have acted to avoid a worldwide conflict. His analysis of war literature and propaganda raises important issues regarding why men continue to fight despite having to endure horrifying conditions. While scholars focusing on a single nation might disagree with some of his specific conclusions, Ferguson has made an important contribution to our understanding of the long-term impact of the Great War. His book will also spark serious discussion about the nature of war in the modern world. Recommended for all libraries.ÄFrederic Krome, Jacob Rader Marcus Ctr. of the American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati

"The Pity of War is one of the most controversial histories to come along in decades. Niall Ferguson...offers a bold, revisionist account of the Great War." Washington Post--Washington Post
"A rich and provocative book, evocative and heartbreaking. Ferguson is a talented writer and a versatile scholar."--Atlantic
"An illuminating synthesis of current knowledge on the war. The reader will find plenty of fresh information and challenging ideas on the conflict's most important aspects."--New York Times Book Review
"Brings for the first time the carnage of 1914-18 into sharp, unmystified focus. This is analytical history at its mordant best. With all its other merits, The Pity of War is also a work of grace and feeling."--Economist
"Niall Ferguson, the enfant terrible of the Oxford history establishment...shatter[s] the display cases of the museum of World War I. Persuasive...affecting."--Boston Globe
"There is much to admire in The Pity of War...Niall Ferguson can confidently claim to have inherited [A.J.P.] Taylor's mantle."--New York Review of Books