I have read, frankly too many books on the 1919 settlement and the interwar system this year. To have an author come out of the gate with some very strong arguments vis a vis Why this international system failed, the paradigm shift the war after 1916 induced, and how this remains relevant to international relations and political economy in the 21st century is a breathe of fresh air. Tooze is not afraid to stake claims about the nature of the gold standard system and the failures of America’s political culture. The Deluge + Wages of Destruction are about the best economic history of the interwar period you’re going to find