A prescient, thoughtful and chilling examination of the current state of the world

If there are lessons from history, now is the time when we need to heed them, so that we do not end up in another Great Power war because of the fatal combinations of jingoism, fear, fatalism, and sheer stupidity that set off the first major war of the 20th century.

The great majority of people alive today have come of age in a world of remarkable stability, presided over by either one or two superpowers. This is not to say the world has been peaceful; but it has to an extent been predictable. As an increasing number of Great Powers now jostle for regional supremacy our world has become more fragile, unpredictable – and combustible.

To understand the threats that face us in this complex new terrain, we must look to the lessons of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century – a time when Great Powers clashed and sought regional dominance, when nationalism and populism were on the rise, and many felt that globalization had failed them: a time, in other words, that carries eerie parallels with our own.

The world we are entering bears striking similarities to that of the late 19th and early 20th Century, as Britain's hegemony began to give way and a rising Germany sought its place in the sun. Historical analogies are usually difficult to sustain, but Westad brings so much erudition, intelligence, and insight to the table. This is a short book on a big subject that will make you think long after you put it down -- Fareed Zakaria
A passionate and informed warning about the very real prospects today for Great Power war in light of the origins of World War I. Westad recognizes analogies need not be fate and proposes policies needed to avert catastrophe. Can we and our leaders walk the knife-edge? -- Charles S. Maier

Odd Arne Westad FBA is a Norwegian historian specializing in the Cold War and contemporary East Asian history. He is the Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University. He has published a number of books on modern and contemporary international history, among them The Cold War: A World History, and Restless Empire. He is the co-author of The Penguin History of the World.