This book traces the path to the declaration of war by the United States in early 1917, from the very beginning of the war in Europe. Neiberg postulates that 100 years on, the effects of this pivot from peace to war still resonate. The war transformed the U.S.A. into a financial powerhouse and global player. Neiberg's conclusion is that World War One was for the U.S. a moment of national determination.