Customer Comments

Wow, what a great, inspirational, funny, well written work of art. If only this book had been written thirty years ago (or better yet, met the author) I suspect my life would have would have gone down a different path. There are very few books that I would consider a "must" read, this is one of them. You owe it to yourself to read this book and learn about the natural world around you and this wonderful person studying this world.

Since it is the 100th anniversary of World War I, I am making an effort to learn more about it. I can't recommend this book enough. Ms. Macmillan goes into great detail about the politics, foreign relations and relationships that brought about a war that could have easily been prevented. The mindset of the (infinitely interrelated)European leaders at the time really shows how unaware they were of the possibility that that war could actually last longer than a few months. Taken together with The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark (another highly recommended read), one really gains an understanding of all the factors that had to fall into place to bring about such a destructive event in world history and what was a defining moment of the 20th century. I can't wait to read Ms. Macmillan's previous book, Paris 1919, to see how it all ends (I suspect the victors will place onerous demands on the losers that leads to the rise of Fascism and another destructive war, but that could be just conjecture on my part).

With the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI fast approaching, we're sure to be inundated with books exploring all aspects of that terrible event. If those books are half as good as "The Sleepwalkers", fans of military/political history (of which I don't really include myself, but this was highly recommended to me) are in for a great year of reading. This well written, fascinating tome goes beyond the assassination of the Archduke, to capture and convey the frames of reference that led the various European powers to act and react the way they did; leading to a war that no body thought was possible until the first shots were actually fired. One of the best works of non-fiction I have ever had the pleasure to read.

I great guide for all things fish. Who to buy from, how to tell good quality and recipes galore. The only fish cookbook you'll need