The March of Folly: From Troy to VietnamPulitzer Prize–winning historian Barbara W. Tuchman, author of the World War I masterpiece The Guns of August, grapples with her boldest subject: the pervasive presence, through the ages, of failure, mismanagement, and delusion in government. Drawing on a comprehensive array of examples, from Montezuma’s senseless surrender of his empire in 1520 to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, Barbara W. Tuchman defines folly as the pursuit by government of policies contrary to their own interests, despite the availability of feasible alternatives. In brilliant detail, Tuchman illuminates four decisive turning points in history that illustrate the very heights of folly: 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’ own persistent mistakes in Vietnam. Throughout The March of Folly, Tuchman’s incomparable talent for animating the people, places, and events of history is on spectacular display. Praise for The March of Folly “A glittering narrative . . . a moral [book] on the crimes and follies of governments and the misfortunes the governed suffer in consequence.”—The New York Times Book Review “An admirable survey . . . I haven’t read a more relevant book in years.”—John Kenneth Galbraith, The Boston Sunday Globe “A superb chronicle . . . a masterly examination.”—Chicago Sun-Times |
Contents
THE TROJANS TAKE | 35 |
Three THE RENAISSANCE POPES PROVOKE | 51 |
176365 | 128 |
Copyright | |
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Ambassador American armed army ARVN Bao Dai believed bombing Borgia Britain British Burke Cabinet called Cambodia Cardinal cause century Charles Chatham China Chinese Church colonies combat command Communism Communist Congress Council declared defeat defense Diem Diem's Duke Dulles effort Eisenhower election empire enemy England fear fighting folly forces foreign France French Geneva George Greek Hanoi ibid independence Indochina Italy Johnson Joint Chiefs Julius Kennedy King Kissinger Laos London Lord North major McNamara Medici ment military ministers mission Naples negotiations never Odysseus Papacy papal Parliament Pastor peace Pitt political Pope President princes protest reform refused Rehoboam Renaissance repeal reported revenue Rockingham Rome rulers Rusk Saigon Secretary Senator Sixtus South Vietnam Southeast Asia Stamp Act tion took Townshend Townshend Act Trojans troops Troy United victory Viet-Cong Viet-Minh Vietnamese vote Walpole Washington White House wrote York