Received wisdom amongst students of World War 1 has been that the United States pursued a policy of neutrality until the declaration of war in April 1917.
In this book, Coogan challenges that view. He argues that Wilson's favourable policies towards Great Britain during the earlier part of the war sacrificed America's legal status as "neutral".
He draws on a wealth of public and private documentary material from both sides of the Atlantic. He starts with the evolution of both countries' policies on maritime rights during the 19th Century and how those were refined in the run-up to the war.