Sean McMeekin and Geoffrey Wawro

[WalterS]

Yesterday, November 22, 2014, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting, and listening to, Professors McMeekin and Wawro at a seminar sponsored by the Military History Center at the University of North Texas in Dallas. The focus of the seminar was that World War One is more than the Western Front. Professor McMeekin talked about the Ottoman Empire and the Russian involvement in the outbreak of World War One. His talk was lively, entertaining and engaging.

Professor Wawro, who is on the faculty at UNT and the director of the MHC discussed his book,

The Mad Catastrophe

, about Austria-Hungary. I enjoyed his talk as well. I own Professor Wawro's book and three of Professor McMeekin's. Both gentlemen happily signed those books for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed a day of discussion about history with like minded people. What I found particularly encouraging was that there was a large number of young people, mostly students, in attendance. At age fifty-eight I was not close to being among the oldest in attendance. It was great to see young people who have an interest in history.

For those among you who are Napoleonic history enthusiasts Professor Michael Leggiere, also of UNT, was in attendance. I had lunch with him and we discussed his new book "Blucher." It's now on my reading list.

[Ken S.]

Thank you for posting this. I have a copy of "The Russian Origins of the First World War" but haven't read it yet, but likely will over the winter. Reviews on Amazon, for what it's worth, are generally favorable, but doesn't seem to sit well with some in the academic community.