NO WAY BACK

Millions from around the world were plunged into a war without limit, while their commanders clung to woefully inadequate plans

- LOUIS HARDIMAN

" The little wooden blocks which you manoeuvre as you would chessmen, these are in reality men like you," reads the epigraph of Ring of Fire: A New Global History of the Outbreak of the First World War. This quotation, borrowed from the British Army Major Arthur Corbett-Smith, is the credo for the First World War historians Alex Churchill and Nicolai Eberholst's first collaboration.

Ring of Fire tells the story of the summer of 1914 through the devastating, terrifying and frequently relatable testimonies of those pulled into the Great War's destruction. It is a uniquely global account of the First World War, covering the conflict's implications in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and Australasia. The pair draw from an enormous quantity of fresh material from around the world translated from over a dozen languages.

Churchill and Eberholst spoke with History of War about the coming of war in Europe, the upending of civilians' lives and how each power fared in the opening eight weeks of the conflict. They also reflect on the importance of writing history that focuses on the experiences of ordinary people.

How enthusiastic were people about the war at its onset?

AC: There was no single emotion. One person out celebrating one day might have been petrified and crying their eyes out about going to war the following day.

NE: We wanted to express that the 'Spirit of 1914' was not a myth, but it's only a part of the story. Many of the people who were positive about it were young people who were looking for adventure. Reservists had already been soldiers [as conscripts] and were being called back, but now they were parents and had real jobs. Those people were not thrilled about going because what was going to happen with their business or farm at home? This was happening in July and August, when the harvest was approaching, and now their wives had to deal with it.