A new book from the bestselling author of “World War II. The War Between Realities” and “The Pacific Premiere” is not just a historical investigation—it’s more than a guide through the labyrinths of historical alternatives. It’s an answer to the greatest “crossword” of the 20th century, an uncovering of hidden meanings and concealed logic in what seems—by all accounts—the most illogical and paradoxical war. “World War I was prepared for decades. Without a doubt, it became the most anticipated and most planned war in history. And yet it broke out completely unexpectedly—and it turned out that nobody was ready for it. People imagined the war as something quick, like a lightning strike—but it dragged on beyond any reasonable limits, pushing the warring states to the brink of ruin. The armies of World War I were unique in the combination of clever and educated officers, brilliant generals, and brave soldiers—so brave they even lost the instinct for self-preservation. But the overwhelming beauty of strategic decisions and operational plans turned into a many-year nightmare of positional warfare, with millions of victims for no reason and no purpose, the monstrous exhaustion of the warring countries, and the destruction of the social fabric. ‘A collapse so great that crowns lie in dozens scattered across the pavement’… ”