The Making of a Maelstrom

Yet another study of the drift into World War I might seem unnecessary, but Katja Hoyer’s book is unusual for being written in excellent English by a German historian settled in Britain. The result neither excuses nor apologises for German nationalism and is remarkably free from the usual blame games. Hoyer does not excavate any new archives and relies entirely on published sources, but she synthesises them remarkably well and tells her story with passion and verve.