Charles Emmerson. 1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War. New York: PublicAffairs, 2013. Another case where a book seems an apposite purchase, given that it is about the year I'm currently researching. This one has generated a bit of buzz. It's certainly an interesting approach, providing snapshots of a couple of dozen major cities around the world (Melbourne gets half a chapter, paired with Winnipeg; London gets two chapters, framing the book). The danger is that 1914 will overshadow 1913, that dark foreboding will prevail throughout; but flipping through it seems the author has avoided this pitfall.
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Narmitaj
Michael Portillo (formerly the British Tory Defence Minister) has just completed a series of 15-minute radio programmes on various aspects of 1913 in the UK (women, labour, etc). You can probably listen to them all here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b030l0kg
You can download them here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/r41913
Brett Holman
Post authorThanks! But Defence Minister? Surely he's better known as host of Things We Forgot To Remember...
Andrew Gray
We are trying very hard to remember him as anything other than a politician, but it's not working yet...
Narmitaj
He's also been doing British train journeys informed by a Victorian travel guide:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_British_Railway_Journeys
And on the Continent, this time (appropriately for this post) the 1913 Bradshaw:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/journeysbyrail/9666339/Great-Continental-Railway-Journeys-Michael-Portillo-time-traveller.html