When I first read this book shortly after it was written in 1967 I thought that it was an inspiring and uplifting story of noble ideals versus cruel and unjust reality. I also thought that it was "history" and about the past. "Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now" as Bob Dylan put it. Now I see why Gavrilo Princip wrote "Today everything is as it was yesterday and will be so tomorrow."

Certain passages reverberate with irony "During the crisis that followed the annexation of Bosnia and Hercegovina in 1908, Austria became more determined than ever to go to war with Serbia. To justify the planned attack, 53 Serbs in Croatia were accused of conspiring with Serbia against the monarchy. They were tried for treason at Zagreb and 31 of them were found guilty. It was the first sham political trial of the century, for the documents used by the Austrian government to prove it's case were forged. This was so obvious that Franz Josef was forced to pardon the defendants." Forged documents were also used to foment war against Serbia. Similar accusations are made today.

"During the winter of 1913-1914, Austria twice tried to pick quarrels with Serbia, but Serbia refused to swallow the bait. She was so eager to avoid war that in 1909 and 1910 she offered to submit her disputes with Austria to the International Court at the Hague. Austria refused." There is a sense of deja vu with say the Rambouillet agreement.

As well as the role of the west Europeans in the Balkans the book considers Turkey's role. "After the revolution of 1908, Turkey was led by a group of Young Turks who promised reform and freedom, but who proved to be little better than the old Turks. Their rule began with the massacre of 30,000 Christians, and then they set out to restore order in Macedonia using torture, murder, pillage, and persecution."

A particularly ironic line in the book is "But the Austrians' tragedy, in matters large and small, was that they never could understand how much they were hated by the people they ruled."

This account of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo leaves one as fearful of big powers and their belicose claims as of fanatical conspirators and theirs'. Our grandfathers and great grandfathers paid the price of those claims - lets hope we and our children do not have to.

Well portrayed view of America's obsession with a phantom fear. Displays McCarthy for what he really was, and how it affected the United States in the early 1950's.