Slowly, the car made its way down the street to
the cheers of the crowd. Something that looked like a small black bottle
came sailing through the air, and landed close to the Archduke. He
brushed it aside, and it then rolled into the road behind the car.
Instants later came a terrific bang, the road exploded in a shower of
dust and stones, and tiny sharp things went flying through the air like
angry bees.
Louis Jullian and his older brother Thomas
are on holiday in Sarajevo, enjoying the privileges of life in a
diplomat’s family. But the peace is shattered as a bomb explodes and the
heir to the Austrian Empire is assassinated in front of their eyes.
As
Europe descends into war, Louis convinces his parents to let him go to
the front as a war correspondent. Sent to northern France, Louis
witnesses the war’s first battles and the beginning of trench warfare.
His friends — from Australia, Britain, France, Austria, Russia — join
the war effort too, with — and against — each other.