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I think I'm drawn to WWI, because of the aristocratic bullshit. It was basically a pointless war fought for the explicit purpose of family jealousy. Millions of people were sacrificed so that Wilhelm, Nicholas and George could battle for which one grandma would have loved the most (actually I don't think George V was a first cousin but you get where I'm going). And in the end it solved nothing but to set the stage for the biggest calamity in human history. I like Guns of August because it is a glimpse into the war's beginning and it is what turned me on to WWI. But to me the best book I've read on the political situation leading up to the war is Europe's Last Summer. Very clear and thorough while still a good read.