Adam Hochschild – To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918
A superb history of World War I, from the generation-long buildup all the way through the aftermath. What sets this book apart from the standard WWI histories is the substantial attention it pays to the anti-war movement of the time.
The stakes were much higher back then—both in terms of the war’s casualties compared to today’s wars, but also in the treatment of dissidents. Britain in particular went well beyond arrests. Anti-war activists and conscientious objectors were hit with punishments ranging from censorship to imprisonment to, ironically, the death penalty.
Inertia Wins! 