[T]he key element in Orgill's work is his closely argued investigation of the impact the press had on feeding doubts among Liberal cabinet ministers about the wisdom of going to war. . . .[I]t is remarkable that Orgill could write such a detailed study of an under-researched element in the July Crisis, showing that, even on a subject that has generated countless works over the last century, it is indeed possible to say something new.
* Journal of British Studies *
In Rumors of the Great War: The British Press and Anglo-German Relations During the July Crisis, Nathan N. Orgill makes an important new contribution to debates about the origins of the First World War by examining the role of the British press. Orgill demonstrates that the British press contributed both to the indecisiveness of Sir Edward Grey's foreign policy in July 1914 and to German hopes and beliefs that Britain would remain neutral in a European war, factors which many scholars argue were key causes of the war. This study is indispensable reading for all serious students of the July Crisis. -- Jack S. Levy, Rutgers University
This is a deeply researched, fluently written, and carefully argued study of the British press's role in the build-up to the First World War. Orgill offers important new perspectives on the unfolding European crisis in 1914, and this book will be of value not just to students and scholars of British journalism or the Great War, but for all those interested in the relationships between media, public opinion, and diplomacy. -- Adrian Bingham, University of Sheffield
Orgill is to be congratulated for providing us with the most comprehensive study available of the role of public opinion in the July Crisis. His careful analysis of journalism and the role of journalists provides fresh insights into the political culture of Europe in 1914. -- Gordon Martel, University of Northern British Columbia
