The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam

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The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 1,844 ratings · 160 reviews

Twice a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, author Barbara Tuchman now tackles the pervasive presence of folly in governments thru 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 i...more

Hardcover, 462 pages

Published February 12th 1984 by Alfred A. Knopf (NYC) (first published 1984)

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Mar 16, 2012 Stephen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, 6-star-books, 1980-1989, the-way-we-war

Babs is one crafty, talented instructor and this ranks highly among the BEST history books I've had the pleasure of reading. You should be reading it right now.

Seriously, I mean it.

This is the second gem by Barbara Tuchman that I've tackled, after the stellar The Guns of August), and the impressiveness of her work has led to my developing rather intense, and possibly inappropriate, feelings for her. I'm smitten.

You see, Babs writes history in such a colorful, engaging manner that you don't no...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Erik Graff rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: U.S. citizens

Recommended to Erik by: no one

Shelves: history

Tuchman's The March of Folly is spotty. First of all, too much attention is paid to Troy, about which nothing is known, historically speaking. All that section does is provide a simile or two for what follows. Also, she actually is stronger in another classical case not mentioned in the title or in most descriptions of the book, viz. that of King Rehoboam of Israel. Second, the account of the involvements of France and the United States in VietNam is of a journalistic quality not in keeping with...more

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May 26, 2012 Riku Sayuj rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What better book to read to balance out the optimism of The Wisdom of Crowds

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Jun 18, 2009 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People needing a refresher course in history

About 8 years ago when I read this book I would have given it 4 stars. It gets a 5 today simply because it is much more pertinent to read it now.

Barbara Tuchman is one of the great writers of history. She remembers the first rule of history: Tell a story. In this one she tells several and keeps your attention better. The theme is imaginative and appropriate. It is also not a very long book so you can easily read it in a week.

Barbara Tuchman has a way of viewing history as few can. Instead of f...more About 8 years ago when I read this book I would have given it 4 stars. It gets a 5 today simply because it is much more pertinent to read it now.

Barbara Tuchman is one of the great writers of history. She remembers the first rule of history: Tell a story. In this one she tells several and keeps your attention better. The theme is imaginative and appropriate. It is also not a very long book so you can easily read it in a week.

Barbara Tuchman has a way of viewing history as few can. Instead of falling back on just "telling of a story," Tuchman does what few historians are able to pull off without sounding self-rightious. She gives us a comentary. Kind of like the "color-man" while listening to a sporting event, Tuchman examines the idea of "folly," or the persistent pursuit of a policy by government or those in power that is "contradictory to their own interests." Since a topic like this could take volumes, the author chooses 4 primary historical examples: the Fall of Troy, the breakup of of the Holy See in the 16th century, the British monarchy's vain attempt to keep the American colonies, and America's own arrogant persistence during the Vietnam War.
The fault in this book is that this subject matter can be pretty exhausting even with the only 450 page book. The examples used are valid and make sense. The author finds something different within each one that allows us to see the many levels of government folly. However I found the chapters dealing with the six terrible popes to be mind-numbing. Perhaps it's due to the fact that this history is not examined extensively in current day curricula like the American Revolution and Vietnam, but I think this section was tedious and repetitive. Also, within the Vietnam chapters, Ms. Tuchman tends to reveal her adoration towards Kennedy--like many historians of her era--and her disdain of the Johnson and Nixon administrations. This can distort her objective examination of the topic in some areas, but if it is noticed and ignored, the rest of the study is outstanding. Some may read these excerpts and label them as "liberal" but they are ignorant of history.

In any event the book is an excellent supplement to studying Machiavellian politics. The governments' "wood-headedness" towards policy that is counter to anything rational (as well as contrary to respected voices of reason) is something that all ordinary members and voters of a democratic society ought to take heed of.

The example of Troy is used simply as an example of how Homer and the Greeks had foreseen and probably experienced, the lack of reason when pursuing particular policy. This is usually done because those in power are so consumed by power and what it brings, that their arrogance and ignorance blinds them.

Without carrying this review too far into the book's wonderful and biting commentary, I will just say that this book is recommended, but not for those that have no real experience with intellectual historical study. Some areas will be interesting, such as the Vietnam chapters, but otherwise the book would dull the amateur historian. But if you do wish to challenge yourself and your understanding of how power corrupts and destroys after it corrupts, then "March of Folly" will be admired.

All politicians should be forced to read this book. Kind of like a supplement instructional manual for their job...paid for by taxpayers. Within 100 years, they might actaully learn something.

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Jan 09, 2013 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are four sections to this book, covering the Trojan War, the Catholic Church at the time of the Reformation, the war for American independence, and the war in Vietnam.

The first section is highly speculative, relying on fable more than history. The story of the institutional corruption of the Catholic church is uninspiring, telling the tale that has been well-documented elsewhere.

With the American war of independence, Tuchman's narrative flair comes to life as she narrates the story of 20...more

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Sep 11, 2012 David Becker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tuchman is probably my favorite history writer, and this is my favorite book of hers. While it's the least conventional in terms of constructing a historical narrative, "The March of Folly" is the most forceful and impassioned statement of a theme that runs through the author's work: Mankind's refusal to learn from history or even fully consider the consequences of big decisions. (Side note: A historian has to have a lot of internal grit to acknowledge that and keep writing and researching.)

In "...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Owen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: military-history, non-fiction

Barbara Tuchman is a first-rate writer and historian whose books I have much enjoyed. 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. 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. However, I can now say, somewhat reluctantly, that "Th...more Barbara Tuchman is a first-rate writer and historian whose books I have much enjoyed. 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. 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. However, I can now say, somewhat reluctantly, that "The March of Folly" is not up to the standard of Tuchman's earlier books. I find this curious indeed and have been wondering for some time why it is so.

Firstly, the writing is not up to par and I can only put this down to sloppy editing. Some of the oddest phrases in the book are so un-Tuchman like, that I imagine they have been written by a researcher and, for whatever reason, have managed to sneak by both the author and her editors. Tuchman is usually crisp and succinct. Some of this text is laborious and redundant; it's most surprising. Perhaps this first fault leads to the second, although not entirely. In "The Guns of August" and "The Proud Tower," Tuchman seems to be in very complete command of both her history and her sources. In "The March of Folly," one begins to wonder if she has not strayed too far afield and is rather unsure of her ground. So it appears to me, especially with reference to the beginning of the book, where she discusses both the siege of Troy and then the Papacy during the Renaissance, when she seems very shaky indeed. Or it may be that this apparent instability is founded on limited research and that that has been allowed to come through in the book. Whatever the reason, I find that the book does not live up to its promise, either conceptually or authorially.

The sections on the American Revolution and the Vietnam War are interesting in themselves, but one wonders at times, given the detail involved in both cases, if Tuchman is not actually off the rails. The fact that there is no stated plan at the beginning of the book (chapters and sub-headings and synopses, I mean) makes me wonder indeed, just how much of a plan she had. So I think you can read this book for its individual content (i.e., if you happen to be interested in the particular periods covered), but the disappointment overall is that the really first-rate text that one might have expected, does not materialise. I will say that the essay at the end is very Tuchmanesque and is a brave attempt, quand même, to tie the threads of the book together. Yet I'm unsure of just how far she can get away with a text that smacks so readily of invention and understudy, and in my opinion, the epilogue is hardly sufficient, by itself, to save the whole. I suppose it is just possible that she and I both got carried away by the title. (less)

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Feb 17, 2012 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sandy by: Joy Hatcher (Barbara Sinclair liked the authot's book "A Distant Mirror"

Shelves: nonfiction

An interesting book, but I found that there were MANY references to people and events that I was unfamiliar with. At first, I tried to look each one up and sort it out, but eventually I gave up on that. (I would never have gotten through the book if I'd kept looking up all the things I didn't know.) I just tried to capture the gist of what was transpiring and what the author was trying to say.

I had heard good things about the author, Barbara Tuchman, particularly about her book "A Distant Mirror...more An interesting book, but I found that there were MANY references to people and events that I was unfamiliar with. At first, I tried to look each one up and sort it out, but eventually I gave up on that. (I would never have gotten through the book if I'd kept looking up all the things I didn't know.) I just tried to capture the gist of what was transpiring and what the author was trying to say.

I had heard good things about the author, Barbara Tuchman, particularly about her book "A Distant Mirror". I was surprised, and disappointed, at her lumping together the gods (as in Greek and Roman mythology) with God (see quote below). I felt she could have noted some distinctions, or differences, between the two. "In the search for meaning we must not forget that the gods (nor God,for that matter) are a concept of the human mind; they are creatures of man, not vice versa. They are needed and invented to give meaning and purpose to the puzzles that life on earth, to explain strange and irregular phenomena of nature, haphazard events and, above all, irrational human conduct. They exist to bear the burden of all things that cannot be comprehended except by supernatural intervention or design." pgs 45-46

I did like the way she described several historical situations. I will add a couple of quotes here...

"People felt a sense of betrayal in the daily evidence of the gulf between what Christ's agents were supposed to be and what they had become. Basically, in the words of a sub-prior of Durham (an example of one of those references which were unfamiliar to me), people were 'starved for the word of God,' and could not obtain from unworthy ministers of God the 'true faith and moral precepts in which the soul's salvation consists.' Many priest 'have never read the Old Testament, nor scarcely the Psalter-Book' and many came to the pulpit drunk..." (pg 55)

"Printing and growing literacy nourished dissent especially through direct acquaintance with the Bible in the vernacular. Four hundred such editions appeared in the first sixty years of the printing press, and anyone who could read could fine in the lore of the Gospels something missing from the hierarchy of his own day gowned in their purple and red." (pg 56)
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Dec 31, 2011 Tamhack rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

this book read like a political essay or thesis paper.

The author defines folly as: " A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests. Mankind, it seems, makes a poorer performance of government than of almost any other human activity. In this sphere, wisdom, which may be defined as the exercise of judgment acting on experience, common sense and available information, is less operative and more fru...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Tony rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

88. THE MARCH OF FOLLY: From Troy to Vietnam. (1984; this ed. 2007). Barbara W. Tuchman. *****.
From the scads of potential topics that could be used to illustrate her thesis, this excellent author manages to pick four subjects that epitomize folly in its full sense: The Trojan War; The American Revolution; The Renaissance Popes; and the Vietnam War. Although several examples from history are discussed briefly along the way, Ms. Tuchman manages to pull enough information together from the above...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Brad rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great historians address fundamental questions and use the lens of the past to provide answers. Tuchman is a great historian, and the question she asks in this work is : 'Why are governments so fucking stupid?'

You are the leader of a powerful trading city-state. After a ten year war, your bitter enemies suddenly decamp from the battlefield. They leave a giant wooden horse at your gate. Powerful religious factions within your city assure you that they have had visions revealing it is a trap. When...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Joe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

(Side mote: At the time I am writing this -April, '11- Showtime is airing a series named the Borgias. Fans might find a section of this book interesting.)

When first published, within a decade of Vietnam, this book seemed a lot more timely than it does now. It is a survey of grand acts of folly committed by historical leaders over the centuries with the Vietnam experience as it's climax. By folly Tuchman means the pursuit of policy contrary to self-interest. Because the historical record is overc...more

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Apr 06, 2010 Arief Wicaksono rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Barbara Tuchman was the greatest popular history writer of the late 20th century, and this is her finest book: a work of history for those who don't read history. Unlike the typical history which tackles a period and/or region, this book examines, in quite of bit of detail, four instances of folly in human history. This turns out to be a remarkably useful device for learning about the kinds of events that drive human organizations to places they don't often go -- and in these four cases, shouldn...more Barbara Tuchman was the greatest popular history writer of the late 20th century, and this is her finest book: a work of history for those who don't read history. Unlike the typical history which tackles a period and/or region, this book examines, in quite of bit of detail, four instances of folly in human history. This turns out to be a remarkably useful device for learning about the kinds of events that drive human organizations to places they don't often go -- and in these four cases, shouldn't have gone.

The book defines folly by examining the first case, letting the Trojan Horse into Troy. To qualify as folly for this book, Tuchman explains, acts have to be clearly contrary to the self-interest of the organization or group pursuing them; conducted over a period of time, not just in a single burst of irrational behavior; conducted by a number of individuals, not just one deranged maniac; and, importantly, there have to be people alive at the time who pointed out correctly why the act in question was folly (no 20/20 hindsight allowed).

In the case of the Trojan Horse, the latter role is played by Laocoon, a blind priest, who chastises Trojan leadership the moment the wooden equine is found. "You can't bring that thing in here," he says, "it might be full of Greek soldiers!" Later, as it becomes evident the will to bring it in is strong, he suggests helpfully, "Well, if you're going to bring it in, at least poke it with a spear and see if anybody yelps."

The Laocoons of this book are destined to be ignored, providing a key reminder of the value of dissent. Tuchman moves on to examine the Renaissance Popes, showing them to be pretty much as corrupt and venal a group as has ever been nominated as a symbol of religious purity. Her time period here is the reign of ten consecutive popes, which covers parties in the Vatican with one prostitute per guest, the reign of the infamous Borgia pope, and ends during the year when an unknown cleric named Martin Luther tacks ten resolutions for the reform of the church on a door in Germany.

The third section of the book is entitled The British Loss of North America and treats the American revolution from a rarely-seen perspective: that of an avoidable and silly loss of valuable colonies occurring primarily due to stiff British necks (upper lips being of no service). The extent to which the war was unpopular in Britain is covered, as well as the many Laocoons decrying the idiocy of antagonizing the colonists, including some viewed in the American version of events as villians.

The last section of the book is no less powerful for being more familiar -- it is the Amercian involvement in Vietnam. Tuchman's objectivity slips a bit here (she was an anti-war protestor) but the quality of her research and writing decrying our support of the most blatant of puppet regimes is impeccable.

If you think history books are dull drudgery with no real point, this is a book to read. By examining cases where the system was unable to work in its own self-interest, Tuchman gets at the heart of human folly on small as well as large scales.(less)

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Mar 09, 2009 Terry Earley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Tuchman's March of Folly, she solidifies her case for Folly and "woodenheadedness" on the part of political leaders with four significant examples: The foolish generals of the Trojan war; The mismanagement of the church by the Renaissance popes; how the British government bungled the American Revolution; and, her main example, the French and American short-sighted decisions which prolonged and deepened the Vietnam war.

This book should be required reading for every high school senior. I do not...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Dorothy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

George Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The extraordinarily pessimistic theme of Barbara Tuchman's book, The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam, seems to be that we are all incapable of learning from history and so we are doomed to repeat its errors over and over and over again, ad infinitum. All of human history has been a march of folly with occasional flashes of insight and brilliance which allow us to advance a bit. Tuchman finds plenty of exa...more George Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The extraordinarily pessimistic theme of Barbara Tuchman's book, The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam, seems to be that we are all incapable of learning from history and so we are doomed to repeat its errors over and over and over again, ad infinitum. All of human history has been a march of folly with occasional flashes of insight and brilliance which allow us to advance a bit. Tuchman finds plenty of examples to support her thesis.

Her definition of folly within the context of the book is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests, despite the availability of feasible alternatives. She begins with a general discussion of several examples from history and literature such as Rehoboam, a king of ancient Israel whose obstinance in refusing to listen to the just complaints of his people resulted in the loss of the ten northern tribes of Israel, and Montezuma whose vacillation and failure to heed the warnings of his advisers caused the loss and ultimate demise of the Aztec kingdom. She then proceeds to longer and more detailed discussions of four specific examples of incredible folly.

The first is the prototype for all follies that come after: The Trojans accepting the "gift" of the wooden horse from the Greeks. The horse was brought inside the gates of the city in spite of ample warnings from multiple sources not to trust "Greeks bearing gifts." Priam did not heed the warnings and his city fell.

The second example is that of the Renaissance popes whose decadence and emotional and intellectual distance from the common people led to a revolt by those people against the Church and, ultimately, to the Reformation.

In the third example, the British lose America. It is incredible to read of the series of political blunders, miscalculations, and miscommunications that led inexorably to the decision of the colonies to separate themselves from their Mother Country. It need not have happened. The colonists had time and again signaled their willingness to contribute to the Treasury; they simply wanted to be consulted about the manner in which it would be done and they wanted representatives in London to defend their interests. King George and his advisers would not accept their request and paid a heavy price for their refusal.

Finally, we come to the folly of the American experience in Vietnam. It began in 1945. Vietnam had been a colony of France and, after the humiliation of World War II, the French were determined to hang on it in spite of common sense dictating otherwise. Ho Chi Minh had been trying since just after the first World War to gain independence for his country. He had attempted to present a petition to that effect to the "great powers" after the war, but they refused to accept it. A pragmatic patriot, he later joined the Communist Party when he saw that as a means for achieving independence. Through all the years of his and his followers' struggle, the French and later the Americans seemed to fail to understand the depth of their commitment to being free of foreign overlords. The Americans had forgotten their own 18th century experience with the British.

The American experience in Vietnam began in the Truman Administration with the deployment of 35 "advisers." For the next twenty years, those numbers would gradually grow until they exploded during the Johnson presidency. Reading of the decisions of Lyndon Johnson just makes one shake one's head even today. How could such brilliant men be so stupid? How could they utterly fail to heed all the warnings and assessments of those who knew the country, the region, the history, and the people? Well, how could the Trojans have accepted that Greek horse? When we see or hear evidence that contradicts our ingrained beliefs and what we want to believe because it makes us feel good, we just ignore it. That is the human folly.

Reading this book made me wonder what Barbara Tuchman would have had to say about the last decade of American history. What would she have written about this country's reaction to the events of September 11, 2011; the wars, the abrogation of the individual's constitutional rights, the imprisonment without trial, and, yes, the torture? There are those who like to spout about American "exceptionalism" as if we somehow stood outside of history. We don't. Our follies prove it.
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Dec 31, 2009 Terry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've come to expect top-notch research, combined with an emminently readable style for presenting historical non-fiction from Barbara Tuchman. This book is no exception, and is nicely broken into case studies that one can enjoy at one's leisure.

In the context of several historical case studies (The British loss of the Colonies, US involvement in Vietnam...), the author shows how in the face of abundant countermanding evidence, governments throughout history have pursued counterproductive policie...more

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May 29, 2007 Douglas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Barbara Tuchman teaches us all about why the stupid people in power do the stupid things they do. Inviting giant wooden horses inside the walls. Provoking the Protestant Reformation. Losing the American Colonies. Bogging a superpower down in a brushfire war in a backwater country of no strategic significance.

this one needs an update for the new century of follies, but alas Tuchman is no longer with us.

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Nov 17, 2012 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Starting with Troy, Tuchman discusses cases where governments committed acts of folly, defined as taking actions contrary to their own interests,despite alternatives being offered. Regarding Troy, why didn't the Trojans try to check if anyone was inside the horse before they brought it inside their walls? Tuchman shows leaders making their decisions based on a blind arrogance, focusing on the Popes of the Renaissance, the British in their treatment of the American colonies, and the US government...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Clif Hostetler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

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." Not all examples of misgovernment can be classified as folly as explained in the following quotation.

"Misgovernment is of four kinds, often in combination. They are: 1) tyranny or oppression ... , 2) excessive ambition ... , 3) incompetence or decadence ... , 4) folly or perversity. This books is c

...more 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." Not all examples of misgovernment can be classified as folly as explained in the following quotation.

"Misgovernment is of four kinds, often in combination. They are: 1) tyranny or oppression ... , 2) excessive ambition ... , 3) incompetence or decadence ... , 4) folly or perversity. This books is concerned with the last in a specific manifestation; that is, the pursuit of policy contrary to the self-interest of the constituency or state involved. Self-interest is whatever conduces to the welfare or advantage of the body being governed; folly is a policy that in these terms is counter-productive."

Her definition of folly:

“To qualify as folly for this enquiry, the policy adopted must meet three criteria: It must have been perceived as counter-productive in its own time, not merely by hindsight. This is important because all policy is determined by the mores of its age...Secondly, a feasible alternative course of action must have been available. To remove the problem from personality, a third criterion must be that the policy in question should be that of a group, not an individual ruler, and should persist beyond any one political lifetime.”

The book then examines in detail four events from history that fit her criteria of folly; (1) Actions taken regarding the Trojan horse that led to the subsequent fall of Troy, (2) Actions taken by the Roman Catholic Papacy leading up to the Protestant Reformation, (3) Actions taken by the British government that lead to the American Revolutionary War, and (4) Decisions that led to American involvement in the Vietnam War. The Protestant Reformation and American Revolution are obviously significant turning points in world history. The fall of Troy is profound because it became a founding myth for Western Civilization. Inclusion of the Vietnam War in the book was a tilt toward commentary on a more recent example of folly, and is probably not all that significant in the long view of history. But the Vietnam War was fresh in the minds of readers when this book was first published in 1984, nine years after the fall of Saigon.

Implicit in Tuchman's definition of folly is the suggestion that if individuals in power at the time had been wiser the subsequent history could have played out in a peaceful manner. But my impression from the book is one of inevitability (or is it fate?) from the entangled politics of the times of each of the four historical events studied. It's interesting to note that people were present at the time of each event that anticipated and warned of needed reform or change in policy. But in each case the political inertia of the power structure was such to make heeding the warnings impossible.

Subsequent history supports the book's view regarding the folly of the Vietnam War. This book's review of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was a painful reminder for me of my own memories of living through that era in real life and real time. I see ominous parallels with current events in Afghanistan.

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Nov 29, 2009 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love reading history from some kind of interesting angle. In this case it's about how governments (of various sorts) pursue policy contrary to the interest of their organization, even when it's pretty clear at the time that the consequences will be bad and that they have other, better options. Usually the bad policy comes through pride, greed, a desire for personal power, or sheer woodenheadedness. One example is the Germans resuming u-boat attacks in WWI, knowing it would bring in the America...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Frederick Bingham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Barbara Tuchman's classic book on folly in human affairs. Folly is defined for her as the deliberate pursuit of policy that is contrary to self-interest. She examines 4 case studies. 1. The Trojans allowing the Trojan horse into their walls. 2. The renaissance Popes and the reformation. 3. The British loss of the American colonies. 4. The war in Vietnam.The most powerful section in the book is the one about Vietnam. It describes the war as an incredible waste of lives and resources for no good p...more

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May 05, 2013 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Barbara Tuchman doesn't mince her words: "That would have required thought instead of mere reaction, and pause for serious thought is not a habit of governments." (p. 196). This kind of aside seems to increase in the section on Vietnam. The section on Vietnam is actually maddening to read knowing that our government again would fall into folly in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 1984, Barbara Tuchman warns us of the folly of nation building: "'Nation-building' was the most presumptuous of the illusions....more

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May 10, 2009 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ms. Tuchman has performed a considerable public service by illustrating for the reader - just how policies of governments can become bound to a course that is ruinous - even when the warnings and evidence piles high for folks to see. Ms. Tuchman covers several such episodes in history - the Fall of Troy, the Despotic rule of the Renaissance Popes, Englands Loss of the American Colonies, and the American Intervention in Vietnam. Ms. Tuchman seeks to show that each of these historic episodes leadi...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: european-history, own-read

A good book by Barbara Tuchman that exams why leaders continually choose folly over right. The book focuses on three main topics after an introduction dealing with the story of the Trojan Horse.

The first topic was surprisingly my favorite of the book and that dealt with the Renaissance Popes. Tuchman takes us through the seven Popes who brought shame upon their church while enriching themselves and removing the church from the international power and prestige it had maintained for centuries. A...more

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May 10, 2011 Charlene Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the best books on political folly ever. I visited South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa in hospital the day before Nelson Mandela was released and he was reading this. Within a few hours he had ripped out his drips and chartered a plane to accompany Mandela out of prison.
Inspired by those heady, difficult, complex, inspiring days I kept Cyril's book and read it over and over. Such wisdom from Tuchman.
If you're interested in history or in any way involved in business or politics you...more

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Dec 10, 2010 Nathan Langford rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have now read this book twice. This a detailed analysis (but not dull) and comparison of some very famous 'gaff' periods of history that would seem to have nothing in common; the late Mrs. Tuchman found a brilliant thread in her interpretation of 'folly'. Her summation chapter - Epilogue "A Lantern on the Stern" - I rank as the best since reading Norman Mailer's "The Metaphor Delivered" in his work "Armies of the Night". Her points about the thread of 'Folly' is actually a lesson to us all in...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Roger Merritt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Actually three books in one. I found her attempt to have an overarching common theme unsucccesful, but all three stories were fascinating. The six men who were elected Pope prior to Luther's 95 Theses were unwilling to give an inch toward reform, and were corrupt to a degree we can barely imagine today. The internal bickering in the English government was important to the success of the American Revolution because they refused to make any reasonable concessions to the colonists. We were drawn in...more

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Dec 06, 2009 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well written, amazing premises used and illustrated by the fall of Troy, the Protestant secession, the British forfeiture of the American colonies and America's involvement in Vietnam.
And it just shows - same old shit just different day! Do we learn from history - no we just redo the same mistakes over - Weird isnt it - but if you look at it from an individual's point of view - do we ever learn from reading or watching people - I do sometimes but mostly have to make my own mistakes. Which is OK...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Jeffrey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A rare gem. It is not often one finds such a work of historical precision, elegant writing, and astute, careful judgement of the actions of the playmakers. What is particular of interest to Americans is Tuchman's comparison of how the British "lost" the American colonies with how the Americans "lost" Vietnam. This is a type of historical perspective that, again, is so rare in that Tuchman begins with the goal of seeking wisdom from history. No book on the American Revolution has so profoundly sh...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Ryan Groesbeck rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was typical Tuchmann -- easy to read, solid presentation, and interesting analysis. My only real complaint was that it's slightly misleading in its advertising, in that it sounds like it's going to analyze a whole lot of cases, but only really ends up covering 3. And Troy, one of the ones IN THE TITLE, is really only used in the prologue to introduce/define the concept of folly.

While the 3 were covered in depth and well, I would've preferred I think to see more cases, with less time devote...more

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About Barbara W. Tuchman

Barbara Wertheim Tuchman was an American self-trained historian and author. She became best known for The Guns of August, a history of the prelude and first month of World War I.

As an author, Tuchman focused on producing popular history. Her clear, dramatic storytelling covered topics as diverse as the 14th century and World War I, and sold millions of copies.

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Books by Barbara W. Tuchman

A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century

The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War 1890-1914

Stilwell and the American Experience in China 1911-45

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“Chief among the forces affecting political folly is lust for power, named by Tacitus as "the most flagrant of all passions.” — 1 person liked it

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