The Month that Changed the World
July 1914 and WWI
Gordon Martel
Reviews and Awards
"An eminent and prolific historian of war and diplomacy, now retired from the University of Northern British Columbia, Martel notes that because it is so difficult to get at these underlying assumptions, 'there is not, and there never will be, a neat explanation that ties up all of the loose ends' about the origins of the Great War."--Financial Times
"This is an outstanding work and a significant contribution to our understanding of the origins of that terrible war."--Army Magazine
"Mr. Martel's The Month That Changed the World relies on published primary sources (which are exploited very thoroughly) and secondary works, and the author makes very effective use of a day-by-day narrative approach. He has some acute insights."--Wall St Journal
"Few will accuse Martel of hyperbole-the events leading up to WWI certainly changed world history dramatically-and in this fascinating and accessible account, the editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of War clearly details the day-by-day developments, from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo to England's declaration of war."--Publishers Weekly
"Martel's book is a great work and provides a readable and engaging account of a notoriously complex subject."--H-Net
"During the centenary year an avalanche of books on the First World War's origins will descend upon the public. Gordon Martel's will stand out among them for its authoritative judgements and for its no-nonsense focus on the decisions that caused the conflict's outbreak. It offers a detailed but compelling narrative of the July 1914 crisis, based overwhelmingly on first-hand and contemporary evidence."--David Stevenson, author of 1914-1918: the History of the First World War
"Martel embraces the complexity of the historical moment and presents a thoroughly (and at times, bewilderingly) detailed blow-by-blow account of the flurry of diplomatic activity that, despite many opportunities to maintain peace, ultimately plunged the world into war."--Booklist