A survey of six of the important figures of Western philosophy: Plato, Descartes, Hume, Hegel, Marx, and Sartre. This was a delightful book, far more interesting and readable than the works of the philosophers themselves. As anyone who has tried to read Aristotle or Heidegger can attest, concise summaries like this are a much more fruitful and less discouraging approach to studying philosophy than beginning directly with the writings of the great philosophers, many of whom seem perversely enamored of being tedious and impenetrable. The last few chapters on Sartre and existentialism were the most interesting, and the final chapter poses the question of whether analytical philosophy has closed the book on Western philosophy for good. I somehow doubt it.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/04/18/from-socrates-to-sartre-by-t-z-lavine/
Mar 24 2014
The Guns at Last Light by Rick Atkinson
This is a stirring account of the Western Allied invasion of Europe in World War II. It contains memorable quotes and character profiles, and riveting accounts of harrowing combat. But this book made me feel really bad. It was a stark reminder of what a hostile and dangerous place the world is, and also of the fragility and precariousness of human life. Seven hundred and sixty pages of non-stop violence and horror is a bit hard to take. It definitely cured me of any desire to be a hero or experience war myself. The world is a better place because of the young men who fought on the beaches of Normandy and beyond, but I don’t know how much consolation that is to the ones that didn’t make it back. War is a constant throughout history; this book is a useful antidote to mankind’s unfortunate appetite for it.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/03/24/the-guns-at-last-light-by-rick-atkinson/
Mar 12 2014
Rage of a Demon King by Raymond Feist
The writing was pedestrian, the story uninspired, the plot ludicrous, the characters one-dimensional, and the series overall reads like a D&D adventure. But what can I say? I really enjoyed this book! It is refreshing these days to read a heroic fantasy in which the good guys are unambiguously good and the ending is unambiguously happy, and in terms of providing escape, this is pretty much as far out as far out fantasy gets. Feist is not a master of his craft, but he knows how to keep you turning the pages. And you know, D&D really isn’t so bad; I kind of miss it.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/03/12/rage-of-a-demon-king-by-raymond-feist/
Mar 03 2014
The Roman Revolution by Ronald Syme
This is an outstanding work of historical scholarship. I am by now quite familiar with the history of the late republic and the ensuing Augustan Principate, but Syme’s meticulous analysis goes beyond anything I could ever attempt. Syme sees the the overthrow of the republic and the path to monarchy as a necessary evil, an expedient remedy to save a failed state, but the tragedy of the “revolution” was that its aftermath left no role for the aristocracy and no room for men of outstanding ability. Henceforth only one man needed to be wise and virtuous, while the upper classes were forced to look inward and follow pursuits like history and literature. My own viewpoint is, perhaps the fall of the republic was a tragedy, but for whom exactly? Only for the aristocrats, who were a distinct minority. I might argue that the common people were actually better off during the first two hundred years of the monarchy. This is an exceptional work, but it follows the theme of Tacitus too closely.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/03/03/the-roman-revolution-by-ronald-syme/
Feb 26 2014
The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848 by Eric Hobsbawm
The French Revolution is only a secondary theme in this book; the primary theme is the social upheaval and unrest caused by the Industrial Revolution. As a Marxist, Hobsbawm sees this as THE major turning point in history, which unfortunately did not lead to the world-wide revolution that Marxists believed would materialize. Nevertheless, even the conservatives and rulers and “bourgeoisie” sensed that some kind of cataclysmic event was on the horizon and could not be staved off forever. When the revolution did come in 1848, it fizzled out disappointingly, but the process of gradual and incremental reform that the radicals so despised did effectively create a more liberal society. Some of Hobsbawm’s other observations are a bit tendentious; as a true Marxist he sees the sole purpose of Christianity as being to keep the lower classes in their place, and he gives to much credit to early developments in social science. But this was still a memorable tour through an important period.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/02/26/the-age-of-revolution-1789-1848-by-eric-hobsbawm/
Feb 01 2014
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer
This is an outstanding book. Why do journalists invariably write history better than professional historians? Many treatments of Nazi Germany treat their subject with a sterile and bloodless lack of feeling; not this book. Shirer gives the criminals their due. Yet through it all there is the almost supernatural phenomenon of Hitler, this nobody from nowhere who who rose to absolute power and shook the foundations of the world. Not even Shirer is adequate to explain this phenomenon. This is a long book, weighing in at nearly 1200 pages, but there is much in it that should not be forgotten, even now as Germany seems to have settled into a phase of permanent peace. As the generation that lived through this era is now almost gone, books like this are all we have to keep the memories alive, and future generations would do well to read them.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/02/01/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-third-reich-by-william-shirer/
Jan 16 2014
1848: The Revolutionary Tide in Europe by Peter Stearns
This a subject I keep revisiting, without gaining much illumination. Much about the 1848 revolutions remains mysterious to me. It isn’t clear to me what set off the revolutions in the first place, or how or why they occurred simultaneously and independently throughout the major cities of Europe, or why they failed so decisively when they should have had the support of the majority of the people. This book narrates the history of the movement without clarifying any of these issues. It is also frankly a mystery to me why the American Revolution seems to be just about the only successful revolution in history, at least in terms of bringing about a social order that was better than what came before. This book attempts to explain 1848 but does not really get at the central problems.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/01/16/1848-the-revolutionary-tide-in-europe-by-peter-stearns/
Jan 14 2014
The Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson
The Italian campaign has been neglected by most World War II historians; Rick Atkinson brings it vividly to life. It is a story of almost perpetual tactical and strategic blunders, in which the steady application of brute force rather than brilliant leadership or maneuvering decided the contest. The rivalry among generals was horrific, and there is plenty of blame to go around on the high command. Even Patton does not escape censure; the author scathingly describes him as more bluff and bluster than tactical ability, and argues convincingly that personal courage and a willingness to throw away the lives of soldiers on ill-planned assaults does not a great general make. The “soft underbelly” of the Axis in the end proved not to be so soft, and there is some question as to whether the whole effort was worth it or was merely a costly face-saving effort on the part of Churchill. I prefer to look more favorably on the effort, if only to redeem the honor of the thousands who perished.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/01/14/the-day-of-battle-by-rick-atkinson/
Jan 03 2014
Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles by Richard Dowden
EXCELLENT book, confirms my opinion that the best writers of history are non-historians. African history is mostly a depressing subject, but this book was so well written that I could not put it down. There is a good dose of white liberal guilt sprinkled throughout the narrative, as well as a typical tendency to blame non-Africans for the problems of Africans, but overall the author offers a penetrating analysis of the problems that beset modern Africa and their historical roots. As far as Africa’s leaders go, should we accept Nelson Mandela’s argument that we should excuse their greed and corruption on the grounds that they come from a culture of poverty? The author is a great admirer of Mandela, but agrees that this speech was not one of his finer moments. These days China is becoming more and more economically involved in Africa, while the West is withdrawing. China sees Africa as a bonanza, the West as a sinkhole for aid. Will Africa finally see prosperity? There is hope.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/01/03/africa-altered-states-ordinary-miracles-by-richard-dowden/
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/01/03/taking-stock-of-2013/
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