One reason that this exploration of World War I is so interesting is that its premise necessarily leads to a different emphasis than usual. The lack of material on the republics of the United States and France in favor of the unusually heavy (so far as the English language accounts that I am used to, at least) amount of information on such monarchies as Montenegro, Italy, and Serbia is striking and illuminating. ( )

2503 Royal Sunset: The European Dynasties and the Great War, by Gordon Brook-Shepherd (read 21 Mar 1993) This book was published in 1987 and is an interesting book. The author does not claim to be a 'heavy' historian, but he tells a good story. The book considers the monarchs before World War II, and tells also of those fateful days from June 28,1914, to Aug 4, 1914. As I read again that story I can understand why the people acted as they did, though if they had had the foresight to see four years ahead all would have acted differently. This book has a chapter on the king of Montenegro, two on the tangled dynasty of Serbia, one on the nutty Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, one on Romania, two on Germany, two on Austria, one on Italy, two on Russia, two on Victoria and Edward VII, and two on the "End Game"--June 28 to Aug 4. Brook-Shepard writes the popular history which is so easy to read. He has numerous other books in this same time period, and if I came across them I'd be tempted to read them--even though it seems I have read so much in this time period. ( )