Meyer manages to balance the bird’s-eye view of grand strategy with the gritty, heartbreaking reality of the trenches. It doesn't just cover the battles; it explains why the world fell apart in 1914 and how it was never the same again.

"The war was a long-delayed explosion of a world that had become too complex for its own political systems."

It highlights the tragic incompetence of many generals and the incredible endurance of the common soldier. Killer Quote