The only good thing about the book is the style: Ferguson does have a way with words. Other than that, waste of time - Germans and Japanese are bad bad bad evil baaaad, Americans and English are okay-ish, Jews are victims because entire galaxy is antisemitic. Third time I tried a book by NF, and it was not charm.

This is book looks at the how and at the why. How did most of the twentieth century become the bloodiest ever, and why. You need to read the 900 first pages to follow the author's progress towards a well structured why : ethnic strife, economic volatility and empires coming undone.

This does have consequences for today's world, as mentioned briefly at the end.

Had to finish this because I'm facilitating a book club discussion on it. I have other issues, but my main takeaway is resentment at all the reading I would have actually enjoyed/learned something from that the time reading this book displaced.