"Outwardly, Europe seemed more calm in 1914 than she had been for centuries."

Then, in the little province of Bosnia, in Central Europe, a ragged young patriot fired two shots. Both found their marks. Tempers flared. The outward calm of a continent inwardly seething with rivalry, suspicion, and arrogant nationalism was shattered. Before the young assassin was even brought to trial, Europe was plunged into a conflict that engulfed the world.

A famous authority on recent European history tells the exciting and terrible story of "the war to end wars" and the tragic "peace" that followed it. This is a book to read for an understanding not only of World War I, but of the greater war for which it set the stage.

The simple but dramatic text is profusely illustrated with photographs.

-- From the book.