HOW WARS END Why We Always Fight the Last Battle

We don’t pretend to understand all the thinking behind this political discourse as the author makes it difficult to follow with his use of adjectives he never explains. Terms like “Wilsonian,” “Bismarckian,” “Metternichian,” “Machiavellian,” and “Carthaginian” deserve clarification. Furthermore, the writer jumps around in time and place so much that his historical compass spins like a top. Rose admits that few know why WWI started but presumes to interpret its ending. There’s no help from the inept narrator—alas, the author. He inflects the prose by shouting some words and dropping those at the ends of sentences. Many words he just plain mumbles. This narrative would be better enjoyed in print, with a computer at hand for reference. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2011]