The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam
In The March of Folly, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning historian Barbara Tuchman tackles the pervasive presence of folly in governments through the ages. Defining folly as the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests, despite the availability of feasible alternatives,...
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In The March of Folly, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning historian Barbara Tuchman tackles the pervasive presence of folly in governments through 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 the Renaissance popes, the loss of the American colonies by Britain's George III, and the United States' persistent folly in Vietnam. The March of Folly brings the people, places, and events of history magnificently alive for today's reader.
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Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9780394527772 (0394527771)
Publish date: February 12th 1984
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf (NYC)
Pages no: 462
Edition language: English
Category:
Non Fiction,
History,
Cultural,
War,
Military,
Politics,
American History,
Asia,
Military History,
European History,
World History
Overall I found this to be an informative and interesting book, though I'm at a loss to say what it's purpose was. It pointed out that governments pursue policies that are contrary to their self-interest, but there was very little in depth discussion as to why this occurs. Tuchman never seems to off...
In A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century, Tuchman follows details of individuals' lives to paint a portrait of the 14th century. In The March of Folly, she tells four tales--the destruction of Troy, the fall of the Vatican, the loss of the American colonies, and the war in Vietnam--to illus...
Probably worth a rereading of this classic on how you get into a quagmire.
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