March 1917: On the Brink of War and Revolution - Hardcover

Will Englund

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393292088 ISBN 13: 9780393292084

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2017

Synopsis

"We are provincials no longer", said Woodrow Wilson on 5 March 1917, at his second inaugural. He spoke on the eve of America's entrance into the First World War, as Russia teetered between autocracy and democracy. Just ten days after Wilson's declaration, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne, ending a three-centuries-long dynasty and ushering in the false dawn of a democratic Russia. Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany a few short weeks later, asserting the United States's new role as a global power and its commitment to spreading American ideals abroad. Will Englund draws on a wealth of contemporary diaries, memoirs and newspaper accounts to add texture and personal detail to the story of that month. March 1917 celebrates the dreams of warriors, pacifists, revolutionaries and reactionaries, even as it demonstrates how their successes and failures constitute the origin story of the complex world we inhabit a century later.

About this title

Review:

This book nicely details both the political arena and the submerged social currents. It also adds to the knowledge base about this time period....Recommended for those eager to learn about watershed moments in history and all readers interested in World War I.

Despite the plethora of books on WWI, Englund....crafts a novel and persuasive point of entry into the topic, focusing on the pivotal month of March 1917....[he] delivers a satisfying, well written, and well timed work.

One of the most delightful [books] I have ever read on the subject. Mr. Englund is a very talented writer of vast experience.--G. Jefferson Price III, Baltimore Sun

In his detailed, fast-paced account....Englund deftly intertwines the Russian story with the American one....a remarkable portrait.--Charles King

A detailed account of one month that shaped history.

Fast-paced history....full of haunting, unforgettable wartime images.--David M. Shribman

Offers fascinating details about nations on the brink of war.--Dan Rodricks

Englund is an accomplished storyteller, and he captures well the spirit of the time.

About the Author:

Pulitzer, Polk, and Overseas Press Club Award-winning journalist Will Englund was a recent Moscow correspondent for The Washington Post and has spent a total of twelve years reporting from Russia. He now lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

About this edition

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0393292088
• ISBN 13: 9780393292084
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400