meeting in the most unusual places and ways. I understand that the resolution of the First World War caused much change, but the characters simply interact in ways that are almost Forrest Gump-like in their ability to be where the evolving action is happening. It's all here - the Christmas ceasefire when the British and German soldiers meet in no-man's land. Of course two friends on opposite sides meet here as well. The fall of the Russian government and the resolution of the War by Wilson. The collapse of the German government and the start of the Weimar republic. If you are a student of this period, the book highlights a number of famous, and not so well known events, like the US support of the White Armies in Russia. But we know the history, and the characters and their interactions aren't believable enough to overcome the forced and somewhat predictable plot. Will the German husband and the English lady, married in secret, meet again after the war? Drumroll please...of course they will. And so on throughout the book. You have to admire any book ONE of Three that is almost a thousand pages, but by blending too many stories and characters the author is forced to make the plot "work" rather than letting the story unfold. There's a lot of effort in this work, but one leaves the book feeling like a good editor and a better plot would have made the book a lot better. Book Extras from