The Origins of the First World War

Martel (history, U. of Northern British Columbia) updates Joll's (d. 1994) account first published in 1984 and augmented but not thoroughly revised in 1992. They look beyond the immediate well known crisis of 1914 to find the origins of The Great War in such trends and conditions as the alliance system and the old diplomacy, the primacy of domestic politics, the international economy, and the mood in 1914. They include maps happily at the end for easy reference. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

The late James Joll was Emeritus Professor of the University of London and a Fellow of the British Academy.

Gordon Martel is Professor of History at the University of Northern British Columbia. He is a leading historian of war and empire in the modern world.