An absorbing kaleidoscope of events and episodes . . . Hints, forewarnings, inadvertent prophecies of what was to come spike the air like pollen. There's no doubting this book's eye for a good story, or the skill in telling it * Guardian *
Brisk and enjoyable, full of unexpected fascinations * Sunday Times *
A truly gripping chronicle of the mood of a nation moving unwittingly towards catastrophe. Bostridge moves deftly between public event and vivid personal experience with sympathy and imagination * Financial Times *
Spy hysteria, petty disputes, shocking art . . . an ingeniously constructed picture of England in 1914 * The Times 'Book of the Week' *
A masterly snapshot of the moment before the world went mad * Evening Standard *
A wonderfully atmospheric narrative for those who are interested in the period but want more than just trenches and treaties * Observer, Book of the Week *
A moving and myth-confronting account of 1914, Bostridge invigorates the familiar story of a year of two halves, when seven months of peace gave way to the worst period of conflict in world history. The humanity of this book intensifies the poignancy of hindsight and heightens one's awareness of the anguish felt by those survivors who remained behind -- Juliet Nicolson * Telegraph, Book of the Week *
An excellent introduction to this year's centenary of the War To End All Wars and a highly readable account for history buffs * Daily Express *
As Bostridge shows in this beautifully written and detailed book, 1914 was a 'fateful year', England was truly never the same again * Independent, Book of the Week *
Vivid, finely drawn * Mail on Sunday *
As mesmerising as a great historical novel * BBC History Magazine *
