Hans-Dieter Otto tells of the worst disasters in human history from antiquity to the present day: from massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, huge storms and cyclones, which humans seem just as unprepared for as famine and devastating epidemics. Is there really no heaven watching over us? This book describes what the accidents meant for each affected civilization; the many that perished and the ones who managed to return to normal. A readable, shattering kaleidoscope through suffering and misery and the terrible helplessness of man. Hans-Dieter Otto, born in 1937 in Berlin, is a lawyer and non-fiction author who lives in Ahrensburg. His "Encyclopedia of Miscarriages of Justice" (2003) became a bestseller, followed by "In the name of Error: Errors of Judgment in Murder Trials" (2006), "Encyclopedia of Unpunished Killings" (2007). His hobby, military history, was reflected in the publication "Missed Victories. Tragic Loss in the Austrian History of War "(2012). In "Above Us Only Sky?" (2015) he focuses on the worst natural disasters in human history.

New research on the darkest chapter of World War I: the authors examine the strategies and calculations employed by the Habsburg ruling elite. They show how the war, which began with the main aim of destroying Serbia, was allowed to get out of hand, with no consideration of the losses. And what happened in the zones occupied by the Imperial armies? Were Austro-Hungarian forces responsible for war crimes? This book sheds a shocking light on chains of command, prejudices, and escalating violence towards suspects, civilians and ‘administrated masses’. A disturbing panorama of the Habsburg Empire’s path to downfall.