land ▁House ▁and ▁assistant ▁to ▁the ▁Dean ▁of ▁the ▁College ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁Chap el ▁Hill ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁Dean ▁of ▁the ▁College ▁and ▁prov ost ▁of ▁the ▁university . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁he ▁became ▁Vice - Ch an cell or ▁( Pres ident ) ▁of ▁S ew ane e : ▁The ▁University ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁and ▁retired ▁from ▁that ▁position ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁He ▁then ▁taught ▁history ▁at ▁S ew ane e ▁until ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁a ▁special ist ▁in ▁modern ▁history , ▁particularly ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁His ▁first ▁book ▁on ▁the ▁subject , ▁The ▁Polit ics ▁of ▁Grand ▁Str ategy : ▁Britain ▁and ▁France ▁P rep are ▁for ▁War , ▁ 1 9 0 4 - 1 9 1 4 ▁won ▁the ▁George ▁Louis ▁Be er ▁Prize ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Historical ▁Association ▁for ▁best ▁book ▁in ▁international ▁history ▁upon ▁publication ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁write ▁four ▁more ▁books ▁on ▁World ▁War ▁I : The ▁Orig ins ▁of ▁a ▁T rag edy : ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁( 1 9 7 9 ), ▁Ess ays ▁on ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁( 1 9 8 3 ), ▁Austria - H ung ary ▁and ▁the ▁Orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁( 1 9 9 1 ),