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Product Description
Book Description
From the Publisher
Randy Hickernell
Ballantine sales rep
A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The march is far from over.,
By
This review is from: THE MARCH OF FOLLY (Hardcover)
When Barbara Tuchman first wrote the book, there was hope that we were moving from illogic to logic, from unreason to reason, from stupidity to wisdom. The world was a place that was getting better all the time. The events she described were mistakes made by simpler souls, medieval popes, pompous british kings and others. Surely, with the knowledge of history and an understanding of how mistakes happen, we would do better.Today, many years down the road, we realise that illogic, unreason and stupidity are not something we can simply wish away or design away from human societies. In the second decade of the next century, we find that enormous numbers of americans still believe in creation, do not understand that the nuclear balance of power still exists, and cannot see the dangers of a financial system running rouge. The book is therefore, very sadly, still relevant and timely. You cannot read it without feeling your hair stand and a vague sense of panic setting in. But despite the sadness and anxiety it brings, there is no doubt that it should be read and read again, since thoughtful people still exist and hopefully, reason can still guide us to a better future.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The more things change, the more they stay the same . . .,
By
This review is from: The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam (Paperback)
In "The March of Folly," Barbara Tuchman attempts to analyze the whys and wherefores of government's apparent insistence on the pursuit of policy that is contrary to its self-interest. From the loss of Troy through the acceptance of the Trojan Horse to the corruption of the Renaissance Popes leading to the Reformation to the British losing the American colonies to America's military involvement in Southeast Asia, Tuchman searches for the common thread behind these disasters. Tuchman, as ever, gets the highest marks for her command of historical detail and for her clear, incisive writing style. "March of Folly" is a lean, mean 400+ pages, unencumbered by extraneous or irrelevant details. But while dense, Tuchman is always highly readable, making her one of the most accessible of the great historians. Unlike so many histories, this is a book that can be enjoyed and understood outside of a library. The only problem with the book is that by analyzing four exemplary exercises in myopia, Tuchman comes across as sadly shaking her head, saying "You should have known better." This tsk-tsking is generally warranted -- just look at the results of each episode -- but the book would have been better had Tuchman done more to acknowledge the relative ease of connecting the dots from her late 20th century vantage point. Slight notes of superiority notwithstanding, Tuchman's thesis is a noteworthy one -- why do governments pursue policies contrary to their self-interest in the face of such (in hindsight) obvious evidence to the contrary? Pride is, unfortunately, all too often a leading cause. While Tuchman's analysis is necessarily weakest when dealing with the fall of Troy due to lack of source material, Tuchman's analysis of the other episodes is down-right masterful. (For a more detailed Tuchman analysis of the American Revolution, check out her "First Salute," a wonderful book.) While Tuchman provides a decent grounding in each episode, and definitely enough to understand her thesis, the reader would obviously benefit from reading up a little bit on each episode prior to working through "March of Folly."
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Timely read in light of America's new colonial pursuits,
By A Customer
This review is from: The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam (Paperback)
It has been said that history doesn't repeat itself but it does rhyme. This is the theme of this book: a survey of folly throughout history. Tuchman provides historical analysis that reads flawlessly and is nonpartisan. Her command of history is striking. Her three main examples from history are the British Lose America, The Rennaisance Popes Provoke the Protestant Reformation and America in Vietnam. Each section is well written and historically complete. She provides background in each section that helps to understand how governments and individual personalities contribute to the pursuit of folly.I found the book quite informative and her arguments convincing. The sections on British lose America and American in Vietnam provide spectacular insight into America's current policy in the Middle East. The only downside to the book is that she concentrates on just her main examples. The scope of her analysis is not wide and leaves out countless other examples of folly in hisotry.
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