The Sleepwalkers

How Europe Went to War in 1914

By: Christopher Clark

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

Length: 24 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

The Sleepwalkers is historian Christopher Clark's riveting account of the explosive beginnings of World War I. Drawing on new scholarship, Clark offers a fresh look at World War I, focusing not on the battles and atrocities of the war itself but on the complex events and relationships that led a group of well-meaning leaders into brutal conflict. Clark traces the paths to war in a minute-by-minute, action-packed narrative that cuts between the key decision centers in Vienna, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, London, and Belgrade, and he examines the decades of history that informed the events of 1914 and details the mutual misunderstandings and unintended signals that drove the crisis forward in a few short weeks.

Meticulously researched and masterfully written, The Sleepwalkers is a dramatic and authoritative chronicle of Europe's descent into a war that tore the world apart.

©2012 Christopher Clark (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"For those who enjoy excellent scholarship joined with logical composition and an easy style of writing, save a (wide) spot on your bookshelf for Clark's work." (Kirkus)

Refreshing take on the origins of WW1

I've read several books about the start of World War 1, but all of them seem to take the view that the war was inevitable because of a myriad of factors. This is the only book that I have read that instead of facing on blame, takes a holistic look at all of the players involved and gives a neutral assessment of their actions.

An excellent history

This is an excellent and very detailed discussion of the origins of WWI. The narrator struggles with a few names but otherwise is very good.

A summary that is now the definitive work

The convoluted story and complicated explanation of the many nations and diplomatic arrangements that finally led us to the First World War - - this is what Christopher Clark explains in a very good way. He is fair to all the parties and careful with the sources. To whom does he assign blame? The answer is that no one and everyone is to blame.

Excellently Done!

Sleepwalkers is an engrossing account of the causes of the Great War. Clark’s masterful research completely changed my simplistic “it was Germany’s fault” notion of the origin of the war. This book sheds fascinating and essential light on the people and politics that lie at the root of the most important events of the 20th century. And, the narration by Derek Perkins is simply outstanding!

Detailed and long

As meticulous as the author is in the telling of this book the narrator had a way of giving the book focus and understanding. If you want to know every nuance and exchange leading up to the Great War then this is the book/audio to get. But if you just want to know the jist of the same than read about it in Wikipedia.

A good but droll story

As someone who loves World War I and the decisions that lead to it, this book was a good listen. The information was detailed and comprehensive, truly analyzing all aspects of early 20th century European power politics. The narrator was a little monotonic for my taste, especially after listening to Robin Sachs narrate A World Undone by GJ Meyer. But if you are interested in the decisions that led to the catastrophe then Sleepwalkers is an excellent read. 3.5 stars worth a credit.

Great read for any history buff

This is a "must read" for any history person who is interested in world war one or two. The detail in this book is really extraordinary.

After reading some similar books like "July 1914" it was extremely well written is a gave a lot of detail on all sides of the conflict.

I do think that the author did not spend enough time emphasizing that the assassin got the guns and bombs from a military personnel with in the Serbian government.

It was definitely a good read and would highly recommend it.

Very Dense Read

This is a very dense book. There is so much information, and it is presented in such a way that the least bit of inattention means the reader has the potential to get completely lost. One thing that helps is speeding up the narration a bit to keep things moving.

This book has everything to do with the geo-political set up before decades before WW1 and right before all storms collided to bring about the Great War. While Clark seems to center on Austria-Hungary and the continual unrest with Serbia, there are so many moving parts. Germany played a huge part in sparking the flames of war, as did Russia. But if anything, Germany's role is downplayed. Though the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was the catalyst, the war itself was a certainty as the war itself as about regional power, and tensions between all countries involved had been elevated for decades before the war even began.

Derek Perkins narration is perfect for this work. His cadence is just right for the presentation. Well done.

Complexity & Clarity

The text is extraordinary for its clarity in the face of the complexity existing before World War I. The decisions made by people at all levels of governments created an unheard of chaos never seen by mankind. The audio version was gripping and well articulated, enhancing not distracting from the author’s story.

Read Guns of August first

This is a great deep dive into the nuances leading into WW1. If you really want to get something out of it, read/listen-to Guns of August first. In many ways, this is a response to that book, and others like it.

Overall, really interesting, but the reader is a little slow.