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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"To me this is probably the book every human being should read in their life. If you for some reason would not like to read the entire book, then read the first part. If you dont read anything at all, not even the cover of the book, then you have lost something very important in life." — Stefanlindblad (5 out of 5 stars)
"To me this is probably the book every human being should read in their life. If you for some reason would not like to read the entire book, then read the first part. If you dont read anything at all, not even the cover of the book, then you have lost something very important in life."
“Among contemporary historians Barbara Tuchman stands supreme.”
“Admirers of her earlier works will find Barbara Tuchman’s familiar virtues on display. She is lucid, painstaking, and highly intelligent. She is also highly expert.”
“In The March of Folly, Barbara Tuchman, as usual, breaks all the rules. She sails forth with bold moral purpose at a time when most other popular historians hug the shores of biography...There is more to Tuchman’s appeal than surperb storytelling. She also glories in unmasking deceit, cant, and pomposity.”
“Without missing a single consonant and narrating at a pace that complements the author’s abundant flow of information, Wanda McCaddon employs her award-winning talents to the fullest. McCaddon’s French and Italian make her sound like a native speaker of both. The satire of the Renaissance popes exemplifies the color both author and narrator bring to didactic narrative.”
" I'm on a re-read of this great book. I am finding that I didn't really absorb it the first time through. For some reason my mind is in a better place to really savor the details of this examination of the pitfalls of human endeavors when it comes to war. It may take me a while though... I tend to fall asleep after about 3 pages. Heh. "
" Great book applicable to many contexts...not just history. "
" I didn't expect from the title and description that this should be so focused on the U.S. of A. "
" Although it took me several months to read the whole book, it was very interesting. What a great concept to examine moments when it is known that a certain course of action may not be to our best interest and yet we continue to pursue that course. "
" Barbara W. Tuchman was my favorite historian. RIP "
" This book shows have much history could have changed with small decisons. "
" This is a book that relates well to current events. It has a lot of interesting ideas and has some good stuff about Vietnam. However, the book is also somewhat dated- a book in the spirit of Freakonomics would have been more interesting. "
" Folly seems to be Lather, Rinse, Repeat. "
" This book radically changed the way I perceived the Vietnam War "
" My first Tuchman. What a treat. Should be compulsory reading for all world leaders. "
" I don't know if it is good scholarship or not, but if one book title can hope to summarize the the dominant tendencies of human societies, "The March of Folly" is it. "
" Another fantastic book by Tuchman. Very insightful, too. It helped to bridge some of my gaps with Vietnam. "
" I couldn't finish this book. I tried. I hate not being able to finish a book, but this book was impossible for me to read. "
" The history of people making stupid decisions. Talks about Rehoboam, the Revolutionary War, and Vietnam. I've been trying to finish this since high school... About half way through! Very well written though. "
" I recall this one coming off a little preachy. But brilliant as usual by Tuchman. "
" WOW!!! This is a great book!--an important read for anyone who wants to avoid the follies of the past. "
" Essential reading. The Vietnam section was so very hard to read because we're still making all the same mistakes. "
" A study of failed military campaigns throughout history; that is they represented a failure for one side anyway. "
" Tuchman's great analysis about historical figures, the mistakes they made and why. I love Tuchman's work, but this book is special "
" hardly a study 'through the ages', rather two very long essays on american independence and the vietnam war "
" The irony of history is inexorable. Nuf said. "
" I wish every American president (and congressman, if they can read) had to read at least THIS book by Tuchman. Maybe, just maybe, we'd have more thoughtful government. "
" Excellent book by an American historian that reviews the folly of wars from Troy to Vietnam. Had she written the book after the turn of the cedntury, I feel confident that Iraq would have been included. "
" A must read for those interested in Politics. You need to know your history though. "
" Great book! Should be required reading for all people in or going into a position of power. As prescient and applicable today as when Tuchman wrote it. I wonder if the politicians who got the US into the Irag/Afghanistan 'mess' read it! My guess is they probably did not. Too bad. "
" It is not that "power corrupts" but that power "dulls" the people that hold it. What is remarkable is that the same pattern appears to repeat itself endlessly across human time, space and culture. "
" Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. Especially when it comes to war. I actually thought of this book when the armies moved into Iraq. A prophetic and insightful work. "
" Great look at some important events in history "
" Aside from citing historical examples of folly (as she defines it), this was the best history of Southeast Asia I've ever read, and an eye-opening tale of the trail-of-events that led to US involvement in indo-china affairs. "
" Spectacular! I believe this should be part of the curriculum for high school. I will try to posts some quotes later but Barbara Tuchman doesn't disappoint! "
Barbara W. Tuchman (1912–1989) was a self-trained historian and author who achieved prominence with The Zimmerman Telegram and international fame with The Guns of August, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1963. She received her BA degree from Radcliffe College in 1933 and worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Pacific Relations in New York and Tokyo from 1934 to 1935. She then began working as a journalist and contributed to publications including The Nation, for which she covered the Spanish Civil War as a foreign correspondent in 1937. Her other books, include The Proud Tower, A Distant Mirror, Practicing History, The March of Folly, The First Salute, and Stilwell and the American Experience in China: 1911-45, also awarded the Pulitzer Prize. In 1980 the National Endowment for the Humanities selected her to deliver the Jefferson Lecture, the US government’s highest honor for intellectual achievement in the humanities.
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.
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