ERSAILLES: 1919

This book is balanced neatly between the popular and scholarly histories, and just as adeptly avoids stylistic evaluation since it is made up of such documents and notes taken at the time, diary entries, and the memoirs of the participants themselves. All of these are synchronized for an overview of the proceedings. The five main clauses of the still controversial peace settlement of World War I receive the most attention. Mr. Czernin has assembled a book which, as you get acclimated to the style of the particular contributor, personalizes this episode of history through the words and convictions of many different people. A further value here is that the excerpts bring together material not easily accessible otherwise.