Peace and War: Britain in 1914

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Description

1914 dawned with Britain at peace, albeit troubled by faultlines within and threats without: Ireland trembled on the brink of civil war; suffragette agitation was assuming an ever more violent hue; and suspicions of Germany's ambitions bred a paranoia expressed in a rash of invasion scare' literature. Then when shots rang out in Sara-jevo on 28 June, they set in train a tumble of diplomatic dominos that led to Britain declaring war on Germany. Nigel Jones depicts every facet of a year that changed Britain for ever. From gun-running in Ulster to an attack by suffragettes on a Velasquez painting in the National Gallery; from the launch of HMHS Britannic to cricketer J.T. Hearne's 3000th first-class wicket; from the opening of London's first nightclub to the embarking for Belgium of the BEF, he traces the events of a momentous year from its benign domestic beginnings to its descent into the nightmare of European war.

Reviews

Lavishly illustrated... Jones has a hawk's eye for fascinating historical detail' * Sunday Express *
A terrific account that makes a strong bid for inclusion in any collection * BBC History Magazine *
Excellent... an exceedingly valuable history of the year as well as being a damned good read... a brilliant primer for the First World War' * The Army Review Service *
A fascinating introduction to the First World War... a recommended read for anyone interested in discovering what life was really like for ordinary people at this time' * Discover Your History *
Elegant and enjoyable... A superb snapshot of Britain... an outstanding introduction to the first year of the Great War' * Irish Times *
This book captures a society on the edge and ready for change * Good Book Guide *
Jones paints a vivid portrait of a nation increasingly uneasy with itself and its place in the world as the storm clouds started to gather * Choice Magazine *

Author Bio

Nigel Jones is an author, a former editor at History Today and BBC history magazines, and has been a TV and radio broadcaster.