The final volume of Conrad Black's magnificent Political and Strategic History of the World begins with the sudden decent into the charnel house of the Great War, and how the important battles, personalities, and decisions made during and after that war set the stage for the next great cataclysm of the Twentieth Century: World War II. Lord Black masterfully explains the political and strategic development and consequences of those wars, which altered the trajectory and fortunes of the Old World nations and catapulted the United States to world-wide dominance mid-century.

This volume is especially delightful as Lord Black peppers the text with several anecdotes from his interactions with many of the leading personalities of the time.

Volume IV stands well on its own for those interested in this time period, and also beautifully completes one of the great geo-political histories of the world, harkening back to Macaulay and Gibbon. We will not likely see another history of this detail and sweep come along for another hundred years.