3 stars. Solid enough book, and the "what-ifs" the author presents are often heartbreaking.

Many thanks to #NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Is this going to be on the test?

My thanks go to Net Galley and Public Affairs for the review copy. This book is for sale now.
I am initially drawn to this title when I see the subtitle—an opportunity to make an early peace that went unanswered—and I also want to read more about World War I. I love military history, and am sick to death of World War II material, so this felt like it might be a breath of fresh air.

Or not.

There is no doubt that Zelikow knows his field, and his research is above reproach. Students and researchers may find this book useful, albeit with a careful eye toward a very conservative point of view that affects his analysis. However, for those of us just in it for the joy of learning, I must caution that this is a slog. I read the first half in the digital format I was given, and after publication, I also availed myself of the audio version available at Seattle Bibliocommons, and it’s difficult to focus on either for long at a time, because it’s just Zzzzzzzz

Oh, I’m sorry! Was that me? Let me try again. The research is splendid; the analysis is reactionary; the presentation is a little zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I might have spared myself some frustration had I researched the author. Once I was able to focus long enough to get a feel for his political leanings, I ran a brief Google search, and discovered he’d been with the U.S. State Department under the Reagan and Bush administrations.

Oh.

At this point, you know enough to decide whether you want to read this thing. If you have a strong interest in the topic and aren’t squeamish about drawing information from the far right, then this is your book. Not mine, though.

This is a must-read for WWI history buffs.

WWI was such a tragic war that had such a massive impact on geopolitics that it still impacts our world today. It was likely one of the most world-altering events of all time, and yet it is one that people generally know little about.

This book outlines how the war could have ended years earlier, saving countless lives that were lost. Expertly researched and very readable, this is an excellent account of a little-known time during WWI that could have changed everything.