March 1917

January 16, 2017
Despite the plethora of books on WWI, Englund, an experienced Moscow-based correspondent for the Washington Post, crafts a novel and persuasive point of entry into the topic, focusing on the pivotal month of March 1917—“the most critical month in Washington since the Civil War.” He structures his narrative history around two primary developments: the lead-up to U.S. involvement in the war in Europe, amid unceasing German submarine warfare and after raucous domestic debate, and the overthrow of czarist autocracy in Russia. Englund alternates between these two primary narratives and deftly interweaves additional stories and anecdotes to provide social, cultural, and political context for this pivotal time. These elements largely center on the U.S.: race relations, labor disputes, music, sports, and more. Englund uses light and compelling storytelling to enliven multiple narratives of select individuals, including then-President Woodrow Wilson, former president Theodore Roosevelt, “professional revolutionary” Leon Trotsky, women suffrage activists, an American banker in Russia witnessing its revolution, and a privileged couple in the Ukraine. Despite the lack of any groundbreaking perspectives or material, Englund delivers a satisfying, well written, and well timed work. Illus.

January 1, 2017
In his debut, Washington Post assistant foreign editor Englund takes a close look at a month "that wrenched America toward a new course."This was the month immediately before Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to take America into World War I. Wilson, the book's central figure, was initially determined to keep America neutral but was also relentlessly drawn to the conclusion that escalating German attacks on American shipping required the nation to join the hostilities. Early in the month, the first Russian revolution broke out and the hapless Czar Nicholas II abdicated, thus eliminating the embarrassing prospect of Americans fighting for democracy alongside an absolute despotism. Supporting players in the drama include Theodore Roosevelt, fulminating for a war he would not be permitted to join; Jeannette Rankin, the first American congresswoman, who wanted to focus on obtaining suffrage for women but first had to decide how to vote on going to war; H.L. Mencken, the Germanophile journalist who spent March in Cuba covering a farcical failed revolution; and James Reese Europe, a pioneering jazz and military band leader. Englund is an accomplished storyteller, and he well captures the spirit of the time: in Russia, where the exhilaration and confusion as the nation stumbled toward a humiliating separate peace with Germany and a second revolution; in America, full of anxiety and anticipation as the country slid reluctantly into war. The author also ably portrays the unfortunate misperceptions about emerging Russian democracy. Englund's self-imposed time frame proves constraining, however. The events of March were, of course, the culmination of earlier developments that require and receive full explanation, particularly the resumption by Germany of unrestricted submarine warfare and the now-famous Zimmermann telegram. The coverage of Rankin's congressional debut effectively displays the distressing split that the prospect of war caused in the ranks of the suffragists, but the adventures of Mencken and James Europe seem of only tangential relevance. An entertaining narrative of events that have received more thorough treatment elsewhere.

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October 15, 2016

Englund, a Pulitzer, Polk, and Overseas Press Club Award-winning journalist who recently served as Moscow correspondent for the Washington Post, steps back 100 years to March 2017, when Tsar Nicholas II's abdication ended three centuries of Romanov rule in Russia. Meanwhile, at his second inauguration, Woodrow Wilson declared, "We are provincials no longer"--foreshadowing the declaration of war on Germany.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2017

In March 1917, World War I in Europe had sputtered to a stalemate. Few thought that the war would be over soon. However, that month altered the conflict's trajectory with the ouster of Nicholas II of Russia and the galvanizing of prowar forces within the United States. Journalist Englund, most recently Moscow correspondent for The Washington Post, ties these two events together in this debut book. The author maintains that when Russian liberals seized control, this event led to another ally for the Americans. As Englund narrates, because Russia was now democratic, the United States could trust her as a force of good in the defeat of autocratic Germany. This book nicely details both the political arena and the submerged social currents. It also adds to the knowledge base about this time period which has been described in Adam Tooze's The Deluge, Marc Ferro's The Russian Revolution of February 1917, and Ross Kennedy's The Will To Believe. VERDICT Recommended for those eager to learn about watershed moments in history and all readers interested in World War I.--Jacob Sherman, John Peace Lib., Univ. of Texas at San Antonio

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017

In March 1917, World War I in Europe had sputtered to a stalemate. Few thought that the war would be over soon. However, that month altered the conflict's trajectory with the ouster of Nicholas II of Russia and the galvanizing of prowar forces within the United States. Journalist Englund, most recently Moscow correspondent for The Washington Post, ties these two events together in this debut book. The author maintains that when Russian liberals seized control, this event led to another ally for the Americans. As Englund narrates, because Russia was now democratic, the United States could trust her as a force of good in the defeat of autocratic Germany. This book nicely details both the political arena and the submerged social currents. It also adds to the knowledge base about this time period which has been described in Adam Tooze's The Deluge, Marc Ferro's The Russian Revolution of February 1917, and Ross Kennedy's The Will To Believe. VERDICT Recommended for those eager to learn about watershed moments in history and all readers interested in World War I.--Jacob Sherman, John Peace Lib., Univ. of Texas at San Antonio

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.