The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, set in 1914, which narrates the horrors of the First World War.
The narrator, in the third person, recounts the vicissitudes of two Argentine families from a common trunk. In this novel the Desnoyers and the Von Hartrotts, who confront each other for being part of the opposing sides in the war.
After the death of the patriarch, Julio Madariaga, the Hartrotts left for Germany and the Desnoyers for France. Both families end up fighting in the opposing armies of France and Germany during World War I. The novel takes place in Argentina and in the war scenarios of Europe.
The English translation of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was the best-selling book in America in 1919. This was stated by Publishers Weekly, and it was also the key that opened Blasco’s doors to Hollywood in 1921. Vicente Blasco Ibáñez sold the rights to his novel to Metro Pictures Corporation for $20,000.