The Sleepwalkers

Clark’s reconstruction of the July 1914 crisis, arguing that Europe’s leaders walked into the war watchful but blind rather than being dragged in by any one guilty party.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the “best history book” thread. The current standard account of 1914, and a case study in how a decision system fails without anyone deciding to fail.

Where I saw it: In Kyle’s “Books To Read” Apple Note, recovered from the reply thread to @typesfast asking “What’s the best history book you’ve read?” (June 5, 2025). The full recovered list lives on What’s the best history book… (tweet).

Not to be confused with Arthur Koestler’s 1959 The Sleepwalkers, a history of cosmology. Kyle’s line named Christopher Clark.

Connections

• What’s the best history book… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• World War I — the subject.