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Barbara Tuchman's The March of Folly

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argive99

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I have never read The March of Folly, but I read her The Guns of August, which is about the beginning of World War I, and liked it. So I'll say something about it.

The Guns of August is written in a dramatic style - one could almost imagine a movie being made from some chapters. For example, it's almost as if one were there at the battle of Tannenberg. The generals and politicians are painted as men who have to make life-or-death decisions with limited context. Larger-than-life characters, though often not admirable ones. It's easy to read, and I always recommend it to anybody who wants to know how World War I came to be. So I like her writing style, and I don't think she left out any important facts. She writes as one who is motivated to make the reader see just how important (and tragic) World War I was.

As an Objectivist, I accept the idea that it is ideas that move human history: especially fundamental ideas. Reading The Guns of August, however, one might come away with the notion that it's not ideas, but the personalities of men, that move history: that's how the book is written. This is something I find true often though of history books that I otherwise enjoy. (It probably means we just need more Objectivist writers of books on history....)

I also read Tuchman's The Zimmermann Telegram - no complaints about it I can recall, but it's a book much more limited in scope.

Though I haven't read it, I can't help wondering why an author would choose a title such as The March of Folly, because I do not think that phrase describes human history at all. Is it possible she's trying to portray man has having "feet of clay"? Or maybe it's just a collection of interesting historical events.

I mention this in closing, because The Guns of August is a rather tragic book to read, but I don't fault Tuchman for this: World War I is perhaps the big tragedy of the 20th century: one that foreshadowed (and had a role in bringing on) much of the later suffering of that century. And also, Tuchman does point out the times that the leading men on the spot could have done differently than they did. But in human history in general, a focus on the tragic, or on folly, is not appropriate..

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I've read all of the Tuchman books mentioned, although quite a while ago so I don't remember much detail. I do remember enjoying the narrative style, though.

I do recall reading one criticism of Guns of August that it presents WW1 as "just happening" as a result of some sort of mindless momentum, without really holding any of the actors responsible. The critic argued that really Germany and Austria were much more to blame than France etc.

I would say Tuchman's books are worth reading, but critically. Don't assume her perspective is always correct.

You might also try some books by Paul Johnson, John Keegan, and William Manchester.

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