1913

1913: In Search Of The World Before The Great War, A Penny Dreadful Review

1913. An interesting year. The year before the sweeping changes of the Great War. What was it like? What was it like in Paris? In London? Berlin? Charles Emmerson is here to answer your questions.
               1913: In Search Of The World Before The Great War is arranged in sections by city, a great information mine about Vienna, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, and more. It is an in-depth and detailed portrait of a world poised on the brink of a new era. This book is an incredible resource, a well-spring of historical knowledge.
              The drawback to this magnificent work of knowledge is that it is very dense and very dry. What should be fascinating and exciting comes across as a blur of facts. This book is an incredible work of research, but I wish it were written in a juicier style.
            I give this opus two and a half gears out of five. It's like reading an odious textbook, but there is so much knowledge here that it cannot be passed up.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

Great Britain's Great War

Great Britain’s Great War: A Penny Dreadful Review

Jeremy Paxman begins with the tale of an Uncle Charlie killed in action at Gallipoli, one of thousands of tales from one hundred years ago. He makes the sweeping events of the Great War that changed the face of the modern age personal, a collection of letters and medals contained in an heirloom cigar box. He keeps his narrative at this personal level even as he investigates the actions of lords and kings.

If you've ever questioned why and how the entire world could go to war, Great Britain's Great War will answer. Here you will find what people felt and believed.

The Great War is often given as the end of the era commonly associated with Steampunk. It was the magnum opus of steam technology and the death of much of the innocence that characterizes the Victorian and Edwardian ages. The optimism of Steampunk does not carry into the jaded twenties and thirties, and diesel replaces steam. How did it end? An educated Steampunk should know.

Jeremy Paxman, in plain English, explains what happened and why, who did what and caused what. This is a shining, helpful, easily absorbed history text which I highly recommend. Five gears of five for Great Britain's Great War. It is an essential part of any Steampunk library.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather