The World Remade: America in World War I

by G..J. Meyer

Every now and then a book comes along that shifts your way of thinking on a subject.  Sometimes that shift comes from learning about a subject things you never knew before. Sometimes it comes in the way that material is presented. And sometimes it comes from being able to put the present in perspective thanks to the past. My experience in reading this book was shaped by each of those three things.

I thought I was well versed in the events that led up to the dawn of WWI. Reading this book I now realize I have always just skimmed the surface. This was a war that should never have happened, but by the time it did, no one could find their way out of it.  Once the ball got rolling, America acted almost as if it needed to keep it going as long as it could, with as little cost to them as possible. The war was terrible, the peace and peace process even more so. After reading this come away with a bitter taste in your mouth from the way the British, French and Americans acted. Not giving Germany a pass, but there were no “good guys” in this fight. (I speak of governments, not the brave soldiers and sailors on either side.)

The way that G.J. Meyer presented the material was fresh and informative. Sometimes the statistics could bog it down a bit, sometimes debates of international law seemed a little long-winded. Still though those things were necessary to provide context. The author shone best when providing that context.

The most engaging part to me was the deep dive into the man who was President Woodrow Wilson. In this production he was the man who was sent to save Europe, nay the world, from itself and nothing would stand in his way. He was apolitical weather vane when it suited him, moving up and down the ideological scale as he saw fit. He would be your best friend if you agreed with him, but become your worst enemy if you didn’t. In a lot of ways the way he is presented in this book reminds me of the current President. There was no middle ground.

So is it worth a read? Yes. Will you end up shaking your head reading about the starvation blockade the allies imposed. Yes. Will you cry a little when you realize that Wilson sent thousands of Americans to die simply to get a place at the peace table? You should. Will you shudder when you learn how the American public and press were treated by the administration? Without a doubt.

As always you can pick up a copy via Amazon by clicking on the cover above.