World War 1 Rest of the Story & How It Affects You Today Revised Edition

I am a retired military officer with great respect for American history and especially for those who have carried the burden of our nation's wars. Before reading this book, I viewed most if not all of America's military encounters as essential or at least justified. As a result, when I first bgan reading this book out loud to my children as part of a school curriculum, I almost had to stop--it seemed un-American. I'm so glad I stuck it out. Maybury is right. Even if you don't agree, read this book to test your point of view--does it really hold up? Do you need to reconsider? What really IS worth fighting and dieing for? I remain a firm believer in the need for national defense and the sobering reality that war will sometimes visit itself upon us whether we want it or deserve it. However, I am utterly convinced Maybury is on to a way of thinking we would be fortunate to pursue as a nation--and without sacrificing our freedom. Do yourself a favor and read this book. Even better--read it aloud with your children. By the way--Maybury served in the US Air Force in covert operations...

You can finally get more than a brief overview of WWI (aka "The Great War") for once, in this book. Some books teach nothing but battles and dates, and public school textbooks leave out, well, almost everything. To the person who says Richard Maybury's ideals are unworkable... they're not unworkable so much as people think they are unworkable and therefore do nothing. Even if they were unworkable, you have to at least admit, they're good. Read this book to learn just how much this war affected future wars and also life as we live it now. We hear so much about WWII and all its patriotic hype and the spirit of the thing, that we forget to search out truth, or find out what *really* led up to that war. Richard Maybury documents what he says, and even tells you where to find it for yourself. This is not pie-in-the-sky stuff. It is not a difficult read, but it is a thoughtful read which will make you stop often and chew on what you've just learned. Read through "World War I: The Rest of the Story and How It Affects You Today" once quickly, then again slowly. And every year after that! (Followed by his sequel World War II book.)

This book treats history as an interconnected series of cause and effect, unlike the "isolated events" approach that your high school teacher used.The spine of the book is Maybury's Ten Deadly Ideas That Lead to War:1. Pax Romana2. Fascism3. Love of political power4. Global protection5. "Interests"6. Cost externalization7. Manifest Destiny8. The White Man's Burden (now Washington DC's Burden)9. Alliances10. The glory of warSome other things I found interesting about the book:- People often say that there is no way to win a guerilla war. Maybury shows that there is a way, and the US Government used it to win the war in the Philippines.- Who made the first move of aggression, the US Government or Japan?- How did the US Government get the land to build the Panama Canal?- Why were the German people so supportive of Hitler after WWI?- Why was the US Government (particularly Woodrow Wilson) responsible for prolonging WWI and creating the conditions for WWII.Maybury draws a distinct difference between America as a country and the US Government and he states that unfortunately "patriotism" is often seen as support for one's government instead of love for one's country. It reminds me of GK Chesterson remarking that "My country right or wrong" was like saying, "My mother drunk or sober."After reading this book, you'll never be able to hear phrases like "make the world safe for democracy" and "project power" again without feeling nauseous. Maybury shows how the propaganda for interventionism developed in the late 19th century and has continued up to the present. It's amazing how much Bush's current rhetoric sounds like Woodrow Wilson's before WWI.Maybury describes the book as "anti-war letters written by an extreme militarist." He does not take the view of Orwell's pacifist who thinks that the enemy will treat him well because he did not put up a fight. But he also is not ready to fight other nations' wars and get involved with their land grabs. "The best defense is a good offense" is only true when you're keeping score on the football field, not when you're talking about killing people.Some people get indignant at the phrase "American Empire," but a quick look at history shows how accurate it is. Only God knows how much longer we'll be able to keep the wolf by the ears.