Describe Books Supposing The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam
| Original Title: | The March Of Folly: From Troy To Vietnam |
| ISBN: | 0345308239 (ISBN13: 9780345308238) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Barbara W. Tuchman
Paperback | Pages: 447 pages Rating: 4.02 | 5172 Users | 400 Reviews
Mention Based On Books The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam
| Title | : | The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam |
| Author | : | Barbara W. Tuchman |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 447 pages |
| Published | : | February 12th 1985 by Random House Trade Paperbacks (first published 1984) |
| Categories | : | History. Nonfiction. Politics. War. World History |
Ilustration Concering Books The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam
Twice a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, author Barbara Tuchman now tackles the pervasive presence of folly in governments thru the ages. Defining folly as the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests, despite the availability of feasible alternatives, Tuchman details four decisive turning points in history that illustrate the very heights of folly in government: the Trojan War, the breakup of the Holy See provoked by Renaissance Popes, the loss of the American colonies by Britain's George III & the USA's persistent folly in Vietnam. THE MARCH OF FOLLY brings the people, places & events of history alive for today's reader.Rating Based On Books The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam
Ratings: 4.02 From 5172 Users | 400 ReviewsEvaluate Based On Books The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam
Barbara Tuchman was a journalist before becoming a history author, and despite The March of Folly being a book about certain historical incidents, it is more a work of journalism than history. It is an investigation into the process by which governments embark on self-destructive courses ('folly'), despite recognition of the problem, and alternative courses being available. As such, it is more of a screed against certain practices, rather than a real attempt at balanced or impartial history.TheAnother thought-provoking, well-written book by Tuchman. The book considers this question: Why do governments repeatedly and doggedly pursue policies that are contrary to their own interest? Tuchman calls this folly, hence the title. She uses the Trojan War, the Renaissance Popes Britains loss of the American colonies and the USs Vietnam War to illustrate that pride, hubris, unchecked power, fear and outrage are often the drivers of poor policy and decision making. Some of my favorite quotes
Babs is one crafty, talented instructor and this ranks highly among the BEST history books I've had the pleasure of reading. You should be reading it right now. Seriously, I mean it. This is the second gem by Barbara Tuchman that I've tackled, after the stellar The Guns of August), and the impressiveness of her work has led to my developing rather intense, and possibly inappropriate, feelings for her. I'm smitten. You see, Babs writes history in such a colorful, engaging manner that you don't
Man, talk about phoning it in....Years ago I read Barbara Tuchman's famous "Guns of August" and thought it was great. So I'd give this one a shot. Big mistake.She's just slumming it here; not trying very hard. The theme is times in history when a nation engaged in folly - self-defeating behavior. That's a pretty broad theme that in encapsulate tons of examples. She focuses on four items that don't really have much to do w/ each other, but she felt like talking about. Well, really three things
A highly readable account of four instances of human folly over the last 2800 years. These include the Trojans's unaccountable bringing of the Trojan horse into Troy; the transgressions of the Renaissance Popes which brought on the Reformation; the loss by Britain of the American colonies; and America's own pointless war in Vietnam. The last section reminds me very much of Neil Sheehan's A Bright Shining Lie, which was written several years later than Tuchman's narrative. Her book is vivid,
Man, talk about phoning it in....Years ago I read Barbara Tuchman's famous "Guns of August" and thought it was great. So I'd give this one a shot. Big mistake.She's just slumming it here; not trying very hard. The theme is times in history when a nation engaged in folly - self-defeating behavior. That's a pretty broad theme that in encapsulate tons of examples. She focuses on four items that don't really have much to do w/ each other, but she felt like talking about. Well, really three things
A magnificent, astringent and idiosyncratic work of history which I've owned for the best part of three years, and there's no particular reason I'm reading it now, honest. It looks chiefly at four famous examples of folly, defined as a policy which 'must have been perceived as counter-productive in its own time, not merely by hindsight'; equally, 'a feasible alternative course of action must have been available'. The third rule is that it must persist beyond one political lifetime, but little
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