
1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War
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Narrated by:
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Kevin Stillwell
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By:
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Charles Emerson
Today, 1913 is inevitably viewed through the lens of 1914: as the last year before a war that would shatter the global economic order and tear Europe apart, undermining its global pre-eminence. Our perspectives narrowed by hindsight, the world of that year is reduced to its most frivolous features last summers in grand aristocratic residences or its most destructive ones: the unresolved rivalries of the great European powers, the fear of revolution, violence in the Balkans.
In this illuminating history, Charles Emmerson liberates the world of 1913 from this prelude to war” narrative, and explores it as it was, in all its richness and complexity. Traveling from Europe’s capitals, then at the height of their global reach, to the emerging metropolises of Canada and the United States, the imperial cities of Asia and Africa, and the boomtowns of Australia and South America, he provides a panoramic view of a world crackling with possibilities, its future still undecided, its outlook still open.
The world in 1913 was more modern than we remember, more similar to our own times than we expect, more globalized than ever before. The Gold Standard underpinned global flows of goods and money, while mass migration reshaped the world’s human geography. Steamships and sub-sea cables encircled the earth, along with new technologies and new ideas. Ford’s first assembly line cranked to life in 1913 in Detroit. The Woolworth Building went up in New York. While Mexico was in the midst of bloody revolution, Winnipeg and Buenos Aires boomed. An era of petro-geopolitics opened in Iran. China appeared to be awaking from its imperial slumber. Paris celebrated itself as the city of light, Berlin as the city of electricity.
Full of fascinating characters, stories, and insights, 1913: In Search of the World before the Great War brings a lost world vividly back to life, with provocative implications for how we understand our past and how we think about our future.
©2013 Published in Great Britain by The Bodley Head. Published in the United States by PublicAffairs, a Member of the Perseus Books Group (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















Good book - moronic narrator
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Is there anything you would change about this book?
The book is beautifully written and fascinatingly conceived.How did the narrator detract from the book?
His inability to pronounce common names and phrases correctly, again and again, ultimately insulting at least five languages before I gave up in despair, combined with his utterly bland and colorless delivery.Ghastly reader
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Comprehensive and very Informative
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Narrator could have asked how to pronounce non-English words.
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What did you love best about 1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War?
The fact that it uses a lot of material from the period and that there is little foreboding makes you feel engaged and almost hopeful for the world that's coming in 1913. When it was over, I could not escape that melancholic sense of what could have been.What did you like best about this story?
Loved how the book is organized by gradually giving you the perspective of the world that year through the eyes of the many different cities, cultures and their people.What does Kevin Stillwell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The narration is excellent and conveys the emotions in the historical texts and citations very well.Thoroughly engaging
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What did you like best about 1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War? What did you like least?
Interesting survey of the world on the eve of the First World War. Rich in detail about the political, economic, and cultural life of the great cities of the world in 1913.What was one of the most memorable moments of 1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War?
The account of Woodrow Wilson's shameful refusal to do anything about institutional racism in the United States federal government.What didn’t you like about Kevin Stillwell’s performance?
His narration includes dozens of egregious errors in the pronunciation of French, German, Italian, and Russian words. This really should have been better edited.Good book marred by poor reading.
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The fact that the book surveys so many national capitals--Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Rome, St. Petersburg, among others--means that it would be a real advantage if the reader knew how to pronounce words and names in the languages of those cities. It is unreasonable to expect perfect pronunciation, but a game attempt based on some coaching from a trained linguist certainly would help. Instead, Mr. Stillwell thought plowing ahead with an unaided American accent would work just fine. It doesn't. People with a smattering of French or German will cringe every time the narrator attempts to render straightforward words in those languages. The author of the book is trying to strike a sophisticated pose with his wide learning and cultured asides. The effect is completely ruined when the narrator mispronounces the name of a well-known writer, politician, intellectual, or the best-known street in a world-famous city.
Listener's experience hurt by subpar reader
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Any additional comments?
The narration was very distracting...Foreign terms and names were mangled badly. Unfortunately, the scope of the book covered several nations and different tongues. It would be a good idea to practice or get some coaching prior to recording!Practice, Please!
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Don’t let the narrator spoil the book
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Stillwell has a great voice, but his mispronunciations become more and more distracting.
I would have liked skimming through this book in a paper or electronic version. It doesn't have enough continuity to sustain a lengthy listen.
Great idea, not well executed
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