The First World War resulted in the deaths of approximately eight million men and brought about a tremendous economic crisis in post-war Europe, hindering its development and relative prosperity.

With this groundbreaking and provocative book, Niall Ferguson asks: "Were all the sacrifices made worth it?"

Through a brilliant historical analysis that is thought-provoking, radical, and simultaneously enjoyable to read, the author directs the reader's reflections towards a series of significant topics:

Was this deluge truly inevitable and did the Germans indeed represent a genuine threat to the Allied Powers? Was the declaration of war really met with waves of popular enthusiasm across Europe? Why did the fighting men continue to battle for 4 years and 3 months, while the living conditions in the trenches were so dire? Was there perhaps a pervasive "death wish" leading the soldiers themselves to their own destruction?

(. . .) [Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]