World's End (The Lanny Budd Novels Book 1)

World's End is the first novel in the Lanny Budd series, a Pulitzer Prize–winning historical saga by the author of The Jungle. The story follows Lanning "Lanny" Budd, son of an American arms dealer, who spends his first thirteen years in Europe within his mother's sophisticated social circle. In 1913, he attends a Swiss boarding school where he befriends Rick, an English boy, and Kurt, a German boy. The three form a close bond, but their privileged world is disrupted by the outbreak of World War I. As the Great War unfolds, Lanny's language abilities and talent for decoding messages become valuable assets. Working alongside his father, he encounters major political and military figures and witnesses the war's progression firsthand. Following the armistice, Lanny participates in the Paris Peace Conference as an assistant to a geographer tasked by President Woodrow Wilson with redrawing Europe's map. World's End opens a monumental series that chronicles the first half of the twentieth century through a blend of history, adventure, and romance. The novel combines historical events with personal narrative to explore this transformative period.