Undiplomatic
Sir: May I briefly comment on Mr Patrick Cosgrave's very thoughtful review of my last-but-one book, A Diplomatic History of the First World War.
I pursued two main lines of enquiry in the book. In the first place I wanted to find out how military strategy and military contingencies influenced war-time diplomacy, and the other way round; secondly — and this concern is closely connected with the first one — why and how men who held political power gave every assistance to revolutionaries and other unexpected claimants of power, provided they worked in countries on the other side of the battle-line.
Such concerns are neither petty nor mean: it is also misleading to say that I have been influenced by the "conceptual framework" (an elusive term) of Dr W. W. Gottlieb. Seeing that your reviewer gave my book so much of his kind attention already, may I suggest that, bearing what I have said in mind, he reads it again.
Z. A. B. Zeman 43 Flask Walk, London NV/3
Previous page
