The Zimmermann Telegramm
 

I picked up a few few books today, one being my second ever Barbara Tuchmann, "The Zimmermann Telegramm". Rarely do I buy books without doing at least some prior research, but having read Tuchmann's, "The Guns of August", there was no hesitation.

The subject matter for this book is very intriguing. It is 1917, & Germany, wanting to keep America out of the Great War, tries to intice Mexico to invade the US by sending them a telegram. They promise Mexico they will regain their lost territories from years past. Little do they know that their TransAtlantic cable line had been cut & Britain had intercepted the telegram!

Very good stuff!

The Germans also apparently missed that Mexico was involved in its own little revolution and was in no position to take up the Germans on their offer, even had they been interested.

A much better Tuchmann book is "The Proud Tower." It's about the political turmoil in "La belle epoch," pre-turn-of-the-century Europe, concentrating on the rise of Communism, Socialism, and--most interesting of all--the Anarchists. Honestly, "The Zimmermann Telegram" is a pretty boring book. At least I think so.