An excellent examination of the the causes and events that led up to the 1914 crisis. This crisis would finally spiral out of control and plunge the entire world into war. Otte does an wonderful job of keeping the information coming without going over the head of the average reader.

A clear and easy to read history of the events that led up to the opening of the first world war, showing how timing, decisionmakers, motives and blunders led up both to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and all the falling dominoes that would lead the whole world to crisis.