This is an excellent review of the events that dragged the US into World War I, focusing on the unrestricted U boat campaign, but in particular the Zimmerman telegram, how it came about and how it was decoded and revealed. A fascinating discussion of events that led to the US entry in WWI - and the seeds of WWII. ( )

A non-fiction read about the infamous telegram that brought the U.S. into WWI. After reading the book, I 'm sure that the US would have entered anyway, but this is just one more event that pushed America closer to the precipice of war.

Pluses:
learned about room 40
heard Mexican names I've not heard since 1972 when I studied at the Universidad de Mexico City (Villa, Carranzza, Huerta, Diaz, Madero)
saw another side presented of Woodrow Wilson that I had not read of before--that of a stubborn, hard-headed, non-compromising individual

Minuses:
so many characters, could not keep them straight; especially the German & British...I listened to this on Audio. Perhaps had I read a hard copy, my mind might have been more organized.

My expectations were that the book centered primarily on the interception and decoding of the telegram, but that was not the case. The book was primarily about high-level politics from 1914-1918. 3 stars, 7 hrs 12 mins (256 pages) ( )

Bók Barböru W. Tuchman, The Zimmermann Telegram, fjallar um samnefnt símskeyti sem talið er vera ein meginorsök þess að Bandaríkjamenn ákváðu að taka þátt í fyrri heimsstyrjöldinni árið 1917.
Símskeytið var sent dulkóðað frá Zimmermann utanríkisráðherra Þjóðverja til þýska sendiherrans Mexíkó og innihélt tilboð Þjóðverja um hernaðarbandalag gegn Bandaríkjamönnum. Mexíkóum yrði hjálpað að leggja undir sig suðvestur hluta BNA og Texas, landsvæði sem þeir fyrrnefnefndu hernámu í innrás skömmu áður. Sömuleiðis áttu Mexíkóar að lokka Japani til fylgilags við Þjóðverja í styrjöldinni en þeir börðust með Bandamönnum. Bretum tókst hins vegar að ráða dulmál símskeytisins og láku því svo til Bandaríkjamanna. Birting símskeytisins olli ofsareiði á meðal Bandaríkjamanna og átti stóran þátt í að snúa almenningsálitinu frá hlutleysi í stríðinu til hernaðarþátttöku.
Sagan snýst um pólitísk samskipti Bandaríkjanna við Mexíkó og hræðslu við afskipti Japana þar. Hvernig Þjóðverjar reyndu síðan á grípa í hálmstrá í von um aðstoð Mexíkóa í stríðinu. Þjóðverjar höfðu ákveðið að hefja ótakmarkaðann kafbátahernað sem þeir töldu réttilega að myndi draga BNA í stríðið gegn sér. Ef BNA væri hins vegar í ófriði við nágranna sína þá fengju þeir nægan tíma til að sigra Bandamenn á Vesturvígstöðvunum.
Þetta er fróðleg saga hjá Tuchman og sem fyrr leggur hún mikla áherslu á dramatískar lýsingar. Stundum skýtur hún yfir strikið og litríkar persónulýsingar og skálduð samtöl eru oft á tíðum full dramatísk. ( )

Tuchman provides the classic account of a key event in the First World War. British naval intelligence had intercepted a telegram from the German foreign ministry to their ambassador in Mexico. The Germans wanted the Mexicans to join any war with the United States and in return would be rewarded with a string of southern states that once belonged to Mexico.

At the time, America was reluctant to join the war. This was despite German u-boats sinking American ships and an active campaign of espionage and sabotage on American soil. Was the telegram the straw that broke the camel's back and brought the United States into the war? It is difficult say.

This is a fascinating read, enlivened by Tuchman's willingness to make judgments on the individuals involved and perhaps limited by the sources she had available. ( )

A 3-star treatment of a 5 star topic, although it is a book which is 60 years old. Covers how the UK laundered their intercept and decrypt of the Zimmerman telegram (German military aid and entreaty to Mexico to wage war against the USA) which contributed to the US entry to WW1 and thus to the long term destruction of Europe, the US, liberty, and humanity. ( )