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The Sleepwalkers

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The Sleepwalkers

By: Christopher Clark
Narrated by: Peter Silverleaf
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About this listen

The pacy, sensitive and formidably argued history of the causes of the First World War, from acclaimed historian and author Christopher Clark.

Sunday Times and Independent Books of the Year 2012.

The moments that it took Gavrilo Princip to step forward to the stalled car and shoot dead Franz Ferdinand and his wife were perhaps the most fateful of the modern era. An act of terrorism of staggering efficiency, it fulfilled its every aim: it would liberate Bosnia from Habsburg rule, and it created a powerful new Serbia, but it also brought down four great empires, killed millions of men and destroyed a civilization. What made a seemingly prosperous and complacent Europe so vulnerable to the impact of this assassination?

In The Sleepwalkers Christopher Clark retells the story of the outbreak of the First World War and its causes. Above all, it shows how the failure to understand the seriousness of the chaotic, near genocidal fighting in the Balkans would drag Europe into catastrophe.

©2012 Christopher Clark (P)2018 Audible, Ltd Europe Military War Imperialism Middle ages Thought-Provoking Russia Winston Churchill Soviet Union Middle East Socialism Africa Royalty Self-Determination Interwar Period

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Such a shame- a book that sold so well and that I was really looking forward to listening to is ruined by a narrator who appears to have the reading age of a primary school child. The problem begins right at the start: 'causal' in the book becomes "casual" in the narration and the word "Balkan" can only be recognised in context, not because of the way it's said. And on and on.

Really ruins the listening experience and as this is my first try with audible it's not an auspicious start.

Desperately, desperately poor narration...

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It shows deep knowledge and many fine judgements, and he has an eye for human detail too.

First rate

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The French politician mentioned in the section 'The Judgment of Paris', is Théophile Delcassé, 1852-1923. And not Déclassé as the narrator would have it throughout. (Déclassé is French for downgraded.)

Downgraded?

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Lots of interesting information but can be difficult to follow at times. Best to make notes as you go to all the players and their roles.

Fascinating complexities of pre-war European politics

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Great book (apparently) spoiled by un-listenable narration with very basic pronunciation errors. Narration is not as bad at the beginning so I got a few hours in before giving up.

Awful narration

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I can't say it always got my undivided attention, because my oh my there's a lot of info to ingest. But I still enjoyed it and was never bored at any point, helped greatly by the narrator doing a fine job. The whole situation was a tinder box within a melting pot.

Empires collide

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n excellent account of the history leading up the Great War and a very in depth study of the causes and affects of the previous events that culminated in what was one of the most terrible events of the 20th Century.

Brilliant and very in depth look into the events leading to the Great War.

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This book is an excellent overview of the international tensions during the period before the Seminal Catastrophe

Phenomenal study of international relations

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Detailed record of the build up to the tragedy of the First World War. A dreadful narration, like the worst of bored lecturers reading from notes.

In depth, but spoiled by poor narration.

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I turned to this book, after having it in my ‘to be read’ shelf for a while. I saw an article about the author Christopher Clark, who had stated ‘not to compare his book to the recent war in Ukraine’. As I read further modern politicians have poured over the work with ex-German Chancellor Angela Merkel recommending it at every possible turn. With this, I knew there would be something special here.

Ultimately it is an excellent and complete book on the causes of the First World War. I was really impressed and simply could not put it down. The concept is explained in the title, that the European powers before 1914 slowly slipped into a conflict that a majority did not want. It blows away the aged argument that Germany was entirely to blame, that the Kaiser and political elites were warmongers and criminals.

Instead it places the complex diplomatic and cultural relations between states at the forefront, with unfortunate event followed by disastrous (but not fatal in isolation) decision again and again. Central to it all is the new, ambitious, Slavic and regicidal Kingdom of Serbia. A same Balkan country with a big match. Clark’s analysis covers all angles, international relations, state’s aims and objectives, did they try and prevent war? Why they feared it? What a ‘preventative war’ means, who actually made decisions, what decisions and actions were taken and how press and public mood influenced these decisions. Interestingly how monarchs, statesmen and the public reacted in the fateful days and ultimate declarations of war.

The content of Clark’s work is always captivating and his level of knowledge is astounding. I have said in my other reviews of his works that there is a mixture of genius with frustration as I feel he is not the best writer. Sleepwalkers is without doubt his best work and is written in his best pros. Although undue crowded sentences creep in from time to time it is nowhere near the level experienced in Iron Kingdom or Kaiser Wilhelm II.

I could go through this entire book again and learn new points, arguments and facts. With a topic I have read as a student, it is an asset to one’s library. For me I have long agreed with the findings, that no one person or state can soles be to blame, each made mistakes and must bear the burden in their individual ways. None foresaw the catastrophe which befell them and Europe’s greatest tragedy which came out of it as the worlds tore itself apart.

End note: I agree with the other reviews that the narration is not great and difficult in places. However it was not bad enough to put me off listening.

Drifting into Hell

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