Abstract: In 1914, prosperous countries across Europe at last mobilised their vast armies. Each nation was confident of victory. Instead, Europe destroyed itself. The First World War still haunts us all nearly a century after its outbreak. What was meant to be a grab for imperial loot or a settling of scores turned into a nightmare with millions of men killed by hideous technologies. Ultimately almost all the principal states engaged in the war were ruined, with even the notional winners irreparably damaged: the loot proved worthless and the world was doomed to an even more terrible settling of scores only 20 years later. World War One: A Short History is a brilliantly written, often very witty account, which makes a familiar story fresh and surprising.