the march of folly

It's just amazing, the utter blindness and stupidity of some of the people in high places, from way, way back, up to the present time. She uses the Trojans taking the Greek horse inside the walls of Troy as her template, Tuchman's The March of Folly is spotty. 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. Good topic, but a little dry, fairly dense, and not as good as. The book considers this question: Why do governments repeatedly and doggedly pursue policies that are contrary to their own interest? First of all, too much attention is paid to Troy, about which nothing is known, historically speaking. Not all examples of misgovernment can be classified as folly as explained in the following quotation. Download • 10.30MB. By Alemseged Tesfay. On the Americas I appreciated the overview of the revolution as she worked so much from the position of England, rather than from the wearisomely familiar perspective of the colonists. The focus is on spectacular failures: the fall of Troy, the spectacular immorality of the Renaissance Popes, the failure of the English to retain its colony when the Americans wanted to leave, and finally, the spectacular stupidity of the US in Vietnam. ''The March of Folly'' Re-enacted; A Per. Praise for The March of Folly “A glittering narrative . ― Barbara W. Tuchman, quote from The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam “The follies that produced the loss of American virtue following Vietnam begin with continuous overreacting, in the invention of endangered national security, the invention of vital interest, the invention of a commitment which rapidly assumed a life of its own .” She uses the Trojan War, the Renaissance Popes Britain’s loss of the American colonies and the US’s Vietnam War to illustrate that pride, hubris, unchecked power, fear and outrage are often the drivers of poor policy and decision making. If you are like me the book will get more and more interesting as it gets closer to home. By Barbara W. Tuchman. Not sure I could read a book that speaks of our persistent folly in Vietnam, it may appear to be folly but what would she want ? The March of Folly. The book considers this question: Why do governments repeatedly and doggedly pursue policies that are contrary to their own interest? Start by marking “The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam” as Want to Read: Error rating book. We are The March of Folly and hopefully we will have some songs or videos to post up here soon. Praise for The March of Folly “A glittering narrative . 447 pages. History; 434 views 0 comments. A highly readable account of four instances of human folly over the last 2800 years. THE MARCH OF FOLLY brings the people, places & events of history alive for today's reader. "The March of Folly" is a study of, in the authors' words, pursuit of policy contrary to self-interest, with four main examples. I find this curious indeed and have been wondering for some time why it is so. We’d love your help. (Ibraheem al Omari/Reuters) In 1984, the great American historian Barbara Tuchman published a remarkable book titled The She begins with the story of the Trojan Horse to illustrate the first written example of governmental folly leading to disaster. First of all, too much attention is paid to Troy, about which nothing is known, historically speaking. In each example an alternative course of action was available, the actions were endorsed by a group, not just an individual leader, and the actions were perceived as counter productive in their own time. 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. Another thought-provoking, well-written book by Tuchman. Second, the account of the involvements of France and the United States in VietNam is of a journalistic quality not in keeping with. No_Favorite. Refresh and try again. When I was in the 4th grade I found a book that my Mom had to read for college in the back of a cupboard. A fascinating attempt by Tuchman to explain or at least illustrate why governments choose the wrong path even when they know it's the wrong path. 塔奇曼（Barbara W. Tuchman，1912—1989），美国著名历史学家、作家，1963年和1972年凭《八月炮火》与《史迪威与美国在中国的经验，1911—1945》两度获 … In the end a fairly depressing book which acknowledges the failures of societies to govern themselves well. Thinking about molecular modeling, as I did in the last post, brings up another topic: when you go back to the late 1980s, in the real manic phase of the technological hype, what brings you up short is realizing that these folks were planning on doing all this with 1980s hardware. Welcome back. Throughout The March of Folly, Tuchman’s incomparable talent for animating the people, places, and events of history is on spectacular display. share. Barbara Tuchman is a first-rate writer and historian whose books I have much enjoyed. About 8 years ago when I read this book I would have given it 4 stars. Have you ever wondered how powerful governments can make such bad decision? 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 time now is very pertinent to revisit the article. As part of his talk, he briefly discussed the Founding Fathers and subsequently quoted Barbara W. Tuchman from her book The March of Folly: "It would be invaluable if we could know what produced this burst of talent from a base of only two and a half million inhabitants." $18.95. No_Favorite. The third rule is that it must persist beyond one political lifetime, but little pretence is made of adhering to this; I think it's intended more to separate the sort of folly in which she's interested, the sort requiring complicity and groupthink, from the whim of a lone despot. The Trojan horse, The Renaissance popes, the British loss of America, and America in Vietnam. THE MARCH OF FOLLY. Through Aeneas in Virgil’s sequel, it provided the legendary founder and national epic of Rome. A passing familiarity with US foreign policy over the past 70 years wouldn't hurt either. Folly is never more than a few bad decisions away. EMBED. That book was Barbara W. Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror", and I do believe that is what led me to all the other history books I've enjoyed in the years since. . All that section does is provide a simile or two for what follows. “Chief among the forces affecting political folly is lust for power, named by Tacitus as "the most … It does go on too long, in my opinion, but just imagine what she’d have to say about Iraq and Afghanistan.... Barbara Wertheim Tuchman was an American self-trained historian and author and double Pulitzer Prize winner. The March of Folly is a deep dive; it's not for escapists or fair weather readers. The third rule is that it must persist beyond one political lifetime, but little pr. In 2002 Elder Neal A. Maxwell titled Encircled in the Arms of His Love. To look at the history of modern man (since about 1,000 BC) and take examples of real foolishness on the part of a number of key governments, and try to see why they so acted, strikes me as a wonderful idea for a book. The March of Folly: 29/07/17. See 1 question about The March of Folly…, A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century, Doris Kearns Goodwin Examines Presidential Leadership. For some years now I have been meaning to get a copy of "The March of Folly," since it is a book which greatly appeals to me in its concept. Then this book is for you. I'd love to know what Barbara Tuchman, who wrote this in 1984, would think of the current U.S. political situation. My only critique would be that the depth of her knowledge is such that the lay reader may lose track of characters and events at times. As part of his talk, he briefly discussed the Founding Fathers and subsequently quoted Barbara W. Tuchman from her book The March of Folly: "It would be invaluable if we could know what produced this burst of talent from a base of only two and a half million inhabitants." - amazon.com. Second, the account of the involvements of France and the United States in VietNam is of a journalistic quality not in keeping with the rest of the book, though it may well have been her motive for writing it. To get in and then abandon our allies without even attempting to win? The first edition of the novel was published in 1984, and was written by Barbara W. Tuchman. The last section reminds me very much of Neil Sheehan's, A book which informed my entire world view, and still does. Throughout The March of Folly, Tuchman’s incomparable talent for animating the people, places, and events of history is on spectacular display. That book was Barbara W. Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror", and I do believe that is what led me to all the other history books I've enjoyed in the years since. (, 任何人，不论他被冠以神、教皇、Empires 、超级大国的名衔，按塔奇曼的标准，人类无不在愚痴狂妄下进化到了现在的模样，并且无改观的前景可言。昨天看锵锵三人行，听吴军说，做风险投资或者股票投资谁都不是老大，政府也不是老大，不论你多有钱多聪明，谁也不敢打包票稳赚不赔... Besides, without them you'd lose a Hell of a callback when it comes to Laocoon. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! 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 i. Plokhy’s title is a nod to The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam, popular historian Barbara W. Tuchman’s 1984 cavalcade of ill-conceived conflicts.He also makes a quasi-character of The Guns of August, Tuchman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1962 account of the knuckleheadism that begat World War I. As part of my quest to catalogue as many books quoted at General Conference as possible, I added the book to the list and shortly thereafter ordered it for. . The Trojan War has supplied themes to all subsequent literature and art from Euripides’ heart-rending tragedy of The Trojan Women to Eugene O’Neill, Jean Giraudoux and the still-enthralled writers of our time. a moral [book] on the crimes and follies of governments and the misfortunes the governed suffer in consequence.” —The New York Times Book Review Also, she actually is stronger in another classical case not mentioned in the title or in most descriptions of the book, viz. It's an excellent book. Tuchman calls this folly, hence the title. The attached article was published in 1999 by the Eritrean Studies Review. EMBED. Praise for The March of Folly “A glittering narrative . Although written in the 80s, the book remains valuable and interesting, and I always felt like I was in well-researched, objectively neutral hands when reading. To look at the history of modern man (since about 1,000 BC) and take examples of real foolishness on the part of a number of key governments, and try to see why they so acted, strikes me as a wonderful idea for a book. I found the section on Troy extremely interesting, the section on the Popes not very interesting, and the introduction I found OK. Tuchman's thesis re 'folly' was a new viewpoint for me, so I'm pleased that I read as much as I did. In the end a fairly depressing book which acknowledges the failures of societies to govern themselves well. Some of my favorite quotes f. Another thought-provoking, well-written book by Tuchman. If you are like me the book will get more and more interesting as it gets closer to home. I remember just about everything about Vietnam, from the fall of Dien Bien Phu when I was still a child to the helicopter escape from the US Embassy in Saigon when I was a young woman raising two children and going to grad school. Still, I think the idea is that they've been accepted as true for long enough that they offer valuable examples of trends in human foolishness. The main case studies are the fall of Troy; the Reformation in terms of the Papal failings which bolstered it; Britain's loss of the American colonies; and, in the book's last and longest section, the Vietnam War. "The March of Folly" is a study of, in the authors' words, pursuit of policy contrary to self-interest, with four main examples. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Throughout The March of Folly, Tuchman's incomparable talent for animating the people, places, and events of history is on spectacular display. Also, she actually is stronger in another classical case not mentioned in the title or in most descriptions of the book, viz. In THE MARCH OF FOLLY, Tuchman examines 4 conflicts: The Trojan Horse, The Protestant Secession, The American Revolution, and The American War in Vietnam. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. History is rife with lessons, but it’s rare to see such lessons stitched together across such disparate events as the Trojan Horse, the Papal States, the American Evolution, and the Vietnam War. Barbara Tuchman was a journalist before becoming a history author, and despite. . There seemed to be an awful lot of 'facts' in each chapter. I remember that sentence every time I think about Gilad Erdan, our Minister of Public Security. The folly me thinks would be to treat her a person that has anything to offer. EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? The march of folly by Barbara Wertheim Tuchman, 1985, Ballantine Books edition, in English - 1st Ballantine Books ed. The March of Folly Quotes by Barbara W. Tuchman The premise was so promising, noted historian takes a four egregious disatsers the trojan horse, the papal actions in the lead up to Luther, the loss of the american colonies and the Vietnam war to understand what led to the decisions. People needing a refresher course in history. Tuchman posits the existance of folly, or the pursuit of public policy contrary to self-interest–in other words, why nations keep shooting themselves in the foot. MY LATE friend, Nathan Yellin-Mor, the political leader of the LEHI underground, once told me that a certain politician is "not a great thinker and not a small fool." Edit. She uses the Trojan War, the Renaissance Popes Britain’s loss of the American colonies and the US’s Vietnam War to illustrate that pride, hubris, unchecked power, fear and outrage are often the drivers of poor policy and decision making. The March of Folly from Troy to Vietnam This edition was published in 1997 by The Folio Society in London. To not oppose Communism ? She became best known for, “No one is so sure of his premises as the man who knows too little.”, “Little attention was paid, because the German people, no matter how hungry, remained obedient.”. The survivors of the carnage returned home and demanded a new social contract –the working class would no longer tolerate being the sole bearer of the burden of adjustment. 46 likes. March of Folly cleverly looks at periods in history where leaders have pursued policies against their own interest. that of King Rehoboam of Israel. By Derek Lowe 15 April, 2004. I particularly enjoyed the Vietnam section, as I've really never read anything about it before. While it might be argued that Tuchman has the academic benefit of 20/20 hindsight, that doesn’t diminish the impact of her cautionary tales. When I was in the 4th grade I found a book that my Mom had to read for college in the back of a cupboard. Some of my favorite quotes from this book show her thinking to be sharp and insightful: Insightful, particularly for a history noob like myself, Barb's writing is full of relevant advice, reflected in the mistakes of the past. In this book Tuchman takes a step beyond the traditional historian's story-telling role to provide color-commentary about a specific subset of examples of misgovernment that she classifies as "folly." In Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin's latest book, Leadership: In Turbulent Times, she draws upon... Twice a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, author Barbara Tuchman now tackles the pervasive presence of folly in governments thru the ages. Spooky how little changes in 30 years or more. "The March of Folly" Re-enacted: A Personal View. While it might be argued that Tuchman has the academic benefit of 20/2. flag. 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. However, I can now say, somewhat reluctantly, that "The March of Folly" is not up to the standard of Tuchman's earlier books. The focus is on spectacular failures: the fall of Troy, the spectacular immorality of the Renaissance Popes, the failure of the English to retain its colony when the Americans wanted to leave, and finally, the spectacular stupidity of the US in Vietnam. Illustrated. All that section does is provide a simile or two for what follows. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This approach allows the author to go into great detail on each of the historical periods, drawing insight from a wide variety of anecdotes and commentary from the time. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. 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'. that of those Renaissance popes who precipitated the Protestant Reformation and that of the British government which lost most of the American colonies. Twice a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, author Barbara Tuchman now tackles the pervasive presence of folly in governments thru the ages. (, “希望会蒙蔽双眼。”——《沙丘》（总归不是自己的东西）作者巴巴拉•W•塔奇曼女士于书中指出，无视可行的替代方案而坚持与自身利益相左的政策，即是愚政。书中列举四件历史上著名且典型的“愚政”，即：特洛伊战争的败亡、文艺复兴时期新教与教廷脱离关系、大英帝国失... The answer may be the March of Folly and the deaths of all those who perished in the trenches of Flanders. The main characters of this history, non fiction story are , . The march of folly : from Troy to Vietnam Item Preview > remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. 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'. February 12th 1985 However, I can now say, somewhat reluctantly, that "Th. My first review read: " More pertinent now than ever. Knopf. I appreciated the refresher course, but it does not have the historical character of her two best studies, viz. Tuchman calls this folly, hence the title. You might object that at least two of these examples only debatably belong to the province of the historian, being more a matter of myth, at least as they're commonly understood. The folly of a government that refuses to concede its error of judgement. On the Renaissance popes I appreciated the clear survey of ineptitute as the period is not well-known to me. "The March of Folly" is a study of, in the authors' words, pursuit of policy contrary to self-interest, with four main examples. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! But Barbara Tuchman does a phenomenal job of relating history in a way that shows how “human” history is, and how susceptible we all are to unconscious and ultimately damaging biases. Based on the current political climate, this book has been in my thoughts. . (, © 2005－2021 douban.com, all rights reserved 北京豆网科技有限公司, 愚蠢？精明，或许是谋略 ——读《愚政进行曲：从木马屠城到越南战争》有感. flag. The Trojan horse, The Renaissance popes, the British loss of America, and America in Vietnam. In The March of Folly (originally published in 1984) Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Barbara W. Tuchman explores one of the paradoxes of history – the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests despite the availability of feasible alternatives. I didn't realize what a long and twisty road it was that led to the actual fighting, but this book explains everything very well, and in detail, but never in a boring way. This whole episode is important only insofar as it illustrates the incredible EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? The author picks only a handful of events to analyze in detail. ", In 2002 Elder Neal A. Maxwell titled Encircled in the Arms of His Love. . Excellent, excellent examination of the tendency for political policies to continue down damaging pathways though multiple experts advise against it, which Tuchman describes as “folly.” Her description of decadent popes directly encouraging the Protestant Reformation and the resulting loss of Roman power is fun, lively, and intellectually rigorous. To see what your friends thought of this book. share. My second blog for this March of Folly takes as its theme Karl Marx’s famous aphorism that: ‘History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.’ i Never has the idea that history repeats itself been clearer than in Hitler’s decision to replicate Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. Folly is never more than a few bad decisions away. . It gets a 5 today simply because it is much more pertinent to read it now. I feel compelled to update my original short review. I particularly. I always enjoy Barbara Tuchman`s ability to write compelling and accessible history be it the oubreak of WWI or the life of a french aristorcrat in the 14th Century, add to that a job which allows me to experience folly in all its glory, I had sky high expectations of the book. Barbara Tuchman is a first-rate writer and historian whose books I have much enjoyed. As part of my quest to catalogue as many books quoted at General Conference as possible, I added the book to the list and shortly thereafter ordered it for myself. Free download or read online The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam pdf (ePUB) book. Tuchman's The March of Folly is spotty. Throughout The March of Folly, Tuchman’s incomparable talent for animating the people, places, and events of history is on spectacular display. But Barbara Tuchman does a phenomenal job of relating history in a way that shows how “human” history is, and how susceptible we all are to unconscious and ultimately damaging biases. The march of folly Item Preview > remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. From Troy to Vietnam. The folly of bad foreign policy. But an introduction sketches various other contenders, from Rehoboam and Jeroboam, through Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Barbara Tuchman was the greatest popular history writer of thelate 20th century, and this is her finest book: a work ofhistory for those who don't read history. So I decided not to read the sections on the American War of Independence, and on Vietnam. The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of 447 pages and is available in Paperback format. It takes focus and consistency to enjoy. The March of Folly. This is the march of folly. Sadly, but perhaps not surprisingly, many more examples of folly can be recognized in world events since the publication of this book in 1984. that of King Rehoboam of Israel. For some years now I have been meaning to get a copy of "The March of Folly," since it is a book which greatly appeals to me in its concept. The March of Folly. History is rife with lessons, but it’s rare to see such lessons stitched together across such disparate events as the Trojan Horse, the Papal States, the American Evolution, and the Vietnam War. 塔奇曼就是一个擅长将历史以充满画面感的直观... (Book) by Barbara Tuchman. I remember just about everything about Vietnam. You could try reading it and then make up your mind. In The March of Folly, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Barbara Tuchman tackles the pervasive presence of folly in governments through the ages. The people, places & events of history alive for today 's reader the characters. To get in and then make up your mind persist beyond one political,... Blogs and archive.org Item < description > tags ) Want more description > tags ) Want more Why it so... Misgovernment can be classified as Folly as explained in the Arms of His.! History alive for today 's reader sequel, it provided the legendary founder and national of! 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And the deaths of all those who perished in the Arms of His Love this question Why. By marking “ the March of Folly “ a glittering narrative provided the legendary founder and national epic of.... To win to treat her a person that has anything to offer in the end fairly. On the current U.S. political situation me the book will get more and more interesting it.