With a subject like Napoleon it would be easy to stray but Mark Braude sticks to the story making this book a good model for micro-histories.
The evenWith a subject like Napoleon it would be easy to stray but Mark Braude sticks to the story making this book a good model for micro-histories.
The events leading up to the exile are summarized in the Introduction so that the book can start with how the treaty of abdication and exile was hammered out at Fontainebleau in 1814. The Bonaparte’s would retain their titles. Napoleon would rule Elba and Marie-Louise would have Italian lands near her home in Austria.
Elba was a convenient place for the negotiators. Because of their gentlemanly deference to royalty, most did not envision that Napoleon would use its convenient (for him) location to break the treaty.
There are good descriptions of the islands, the move, the welcome and how Napoleon traveled about the island bonding with its people and making civil improvements. He expanded his “empire” to an uninhabited nearby island. Even on this remote island, Napoleon’s charm offensive used the symbols of power: the hat, the clothes the stance and staged eventss. He extravagantly established and staffed of his stables with great horses and opulent carriages. His gambit of royalty with a common touch worked until he needed money, and strong arm tax collections turned the people of Elba against him.
The journal of Neil Campbell who was sent by the British to keep tabs on Napoleon records how his subject became more and more distant from him. He reports clues that something is afoot. While Campbell has no army or means of control, he is blamed for Napoleon’s escape.
The escape is clever (as expected from such a general) with decoys (such as soldiers sent to Corsica to bad mouth him), ploys (such as using disguised ships and going north when going south was expected), displaying royal attitude (marching like a winner through rural France) and daring (facing down the Bourbon troops).
The story concludes with Napoleon in Paris beginning his 100 day reign. There is a good report of what became of the key players.
I highly recommend this book for readers of European history....more
The book covers the founding of the Templars from its spectacular fundraising to its tawdry end. In between you see how the Templar’s mission changed The book covers the founding of the Templars from its spectacular fundraising to its tawdry end. In between you see how the Templar’s mission changed from protecting pilgrims in the Holy Land to warfare and then to banking and financial services. Assembly of all this material is to be saluted if only for the logistics of finding and reading its primary sources in so many languages.
Most of the book is about the Templar’s role in the Crusades and the many colorful participants on all sides. If you are a fan of medieval battles, there is a lot here for you. Sieges, skirmishes, fool-hardy bravery and military maneuvers are covered in detail. There is a bit (not often told in these histories) as to what is done with prisoners: some become slaves of the capturing army, some are sent away to be sold as slaves, some are tortured and high value POWs are both feted and tormented until they are ransomed.
The focus on the Crusades leaves a lot unexplored. On p. 63 there is an impressive map of Templar properties. These are hardly mentioned until the end where there is an outline of their confiscation. How were these properties managed? How centralized or decentralized was their administration? I presume some were recruiting centers, how did that work? How did one move up the Templar ranks? How did their proceeds get stored and transported, particularly to the Holy Land. How did the Templars at these locations interface with their respective communities and monarchies? There is very little on the role of women.
While there Is a lot here I felt I was losing the forest for the trees. The book is chronological but the episodes are only loosely tied together. There is very little to prepare you for the abrupt end which had to be a generation or so in the making. Were Philip IV’s criticisms, particularly of the sexual acts founded? I presume Philip IV was not acting alone: did descendants of those noble families who had donated their estates to the Templars want their land returned?
Reading this was sometimes a chore but I stayed with it because I wanted to know about the Templars and Dan Jones has assembled a lot of information.
There are 4 appendices: Brief citations on the participants; the Popes, and the Kings and Queens of Jerusalem and Masters of the Order of the Templars. The maps are very good. There are color plates, the most impressive being the tunnels under the docks of Acre. Between the Index and the list of participants I was able to find information when I needed a refresher (often). The best analyses are in the Introduction and the Epilogue....more
This digest of 1000 years has resolved some questions for which answers were only vague in my mind: Was Constantinople still (part of) the Roman EmpirThis digest of 1000 years has resolved some questions for which answers were only vague in my mind: Was Constantinople still (part of) the Roman Empire when it fell to the Ottomans? Why does the Catholic Church have a separate “Orthodox” church? What (anything!) about the Crusades attack on Christian Constantinople?
Richard Fidler does a big job in cutting through the labyrinth (byzantine may be the more descriptive term, but I’ve learned it is a pejorative) to present the story about which the author says in his introduction “Why didn’t I know this before?”
The style and content remind me of Becoming Leonardo: An Exploded View of the Life of Leonardo Da Vinci which is also written by a lay historian. It could be that without the onus of appearing scholarly both are freer to inject casual terms and/or personal anecdotes. Both writers have studied their subject and know what general readers need/want to know.
The result is that Fidler has created a highly readable condensed history. Important trends and turning points are put in context along with the human drama. For instance Constantine in converting his subjects to Christianity is responsible for the religion’s prevalence today on 3 continents, but while doing this he is killing off his sons thereby eliminating competition for his crown.
The book follows the centuries from emperor to emperor and the palace intrigues gave them their thrones. After the empire’s re-centralization under Constantine I you see its fragmentation. Constantinople had become so set apart from what had been its Empire that it was fair game for the Fourth Crusade which fully breached the link. In the isolation that followed, territories slipped away and the Muslim conquest nearly surrounded this city, the last vestige of the once mighty empire. The Roman Empire’s last stand is told in detail, maneuver by maneuver and finally the ghastly mayhem that followed.
There are some surprising roles for women. Justinian’s love for Theodora, his bear-keeper’s daughter and an actress, spurred him to create a new law to allow him marry her. He recognized her as a co-partner as they waged wars of offense and defense together and built the Hagia Sofia. The Empress Irene seized power when her “iconoclastic” husband died of a head infection from too heavy a crown (so she said) and ruled in the name of her son through a eunuch. Princess Honoria wrote to Attila the Hun to save her from an arranged and loveless marriage. There is Anna Comnena who almost followed her father to the throne, which was taken by her brother, chronicled their father’s life in the “Alexiad” from the convent to which she was banished. More traditionally there is Theophanu the 13 year old bride to a later Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire who introduced the fork (and spaghetti twirling) to western Europe.
This book put important pieces of history together for me and I now have the background to read more thoroughly. The weaknesses of this book are its unreadable maps and the very small B&Ws of places of interest. I did not need to use the index because of the seamless text. The footnotes show the (amateur) author has done his homework with primary sources.
If you feel, like I did, that you have only a vague sense this history and want a better understanding I know of no substitute: this is a must read book for you....more
The dearth of pre-1800 travel literature for this region and the authorship of these 25 short letters (22 on topic) make them significant. In 1795 Mar The dearth of pre-1800 travel literature for this region and the authorship of these 25 short letters (22 on topic) make them significant. In 1795 Mary Wollstonecraft learned that, in her absence, her “husband” (as registered in France but not fully legal) was living with an actress. Shortly after, she made the trip described in these letters with their infant daughter on his behalf. Her mission, to track down Gilbert Imlay’s “partner” and missing cargo, is not mentioned in the letters. Her broken heart is alluded to, but not explained. The letters describe the scenery, modes of transport and accommodation and give observations on the people, their government, commerce and culture.
We can easily download scenic images from anywhere, anytime, but 18th century readers surely appreciated (this was a popular book) what we consider overdone writing on waterfalls, mountains, roads, rock formations farms and homes. What stays with the modern reader, are the all too few glimpses of the people, their way of life and their customs; this prose is similarly dated but Wollstonecraft is ahead of her time in what she chooses to describe and what she says about it.
She has observations on the role of women, how they dress, marry, work hard and are treated; but overall, there is more on the poor. She notes the very low wages and how this results in groveling and dishonesty. Protective import and export policies favor the merchant class and raise the price of goods making items of clothing out of reach for the poor. Wollstonecraft observes capital punishment and notes how this kind of public display does not deter crime and sadly people enjoy the spectacle. She notes the crude life of working people. Most accept injustice as part of life; those who try to change things are severely punished.
There are two recurring themes about human progress. One, stated most clearly on p.71, is that “manners will introduce a finer moral feeling”. The other is the idea that science and progress should change values from pursuit of convenience to developing the senses and taste.
The publisher has included the letters Wollstonecraft wrote to Imlay while on this trip. These had been originally published by Wollstonecraft’s second husband. These and the excerpts from his book on her have historical importance, but leave me a little breathless about a man publishing the most intimate writing of his wife and the details of her heartbreak.
There are some reviews of the material from the time. While the text says they are favorable, I found them tepid and that they demonstrated the sexism she faced.
For all the value of the documents there is an absolutely horrible map. It needs an outline the country borders. I needed a magnifying glass to read the names of the places.
That the author of these letters is Wollstonecraft sets a high bar that is not met. Amid the thick prose I found too few observations to say I got much out of it. ...more
As we appoach the 100 year mark from the start of this war, a lot of Great War literature has appeared. I started Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to WarAs we appoach the 100 year mark from the start of this war, a lot of Great War literature has appeared. I started Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War which is current and popular but got lost in the details and found this on a library shelf. I liked its layout. Simple short chapters taking items one issue at a time.
While I don't know if historian, David Fromkin's theory of two wars is mainstream or not, the book has what you need to understand the causes.
Fromkin starts by showing Europe at the time and the interests of the great powers. Austria wanted to "crush" Serbia. Germany wanted a "preventive war", an early one it could win before the very populous Russia further industrialized. France was weak, and seemed to be available and had colonies.
Into this came a school boy who killed a hated archduke giving Austria a pretext, however flimsy, to deal with Serbia. Germany responded to her aggrieved neighbor, Russia mobilized to respond to the threat to Serbia where it had influence, and voila, Germany could get its "preventive war". Britain wanted to protect France to keep the status quo in and around the Channel. It is not fully clear how Germany decided on the two fronted war, but marching to Belgium was too close for comfort for Britain.
Fromkin goes further than naming countries as culprits. In going step by step from the assassination to the mobilizations he points to who, among the small group of invisible to the public individuals, he deems most responsible.
The end, like the beginning, gives a synopis of why is war remains significant today. Fromkin notes that the stated reasons for the war had nothing to do with its ending... and are fully divorced from the issues of the peace negotiations. It was in no way "preventive" for any of its participants or neighbors....more
This book is exactly what it purports to be. It reduces over 200 years of history into a short readable outline. Most likely there is a full book explThis book is exactly what it purports to be. It reduces over 200 years of history into a short readable outline. Most likely there is a full book exploring the content of any given page. It is an achievement of the author to distill this into just over 200 pages.
Most western adults will not know much about this endeavor. They could only guess at the duration, what was accomplished and outside of Richard I, would most likely not be able to name a participant (I tried this, got 100 years, 3 Crusades and Lancelot!). I think it is glossed over in the high school curriculum due to its complexity, its ugliness and the dubious value of its accomplishments. Madden is even handed. His description of the piety and the devotion of some of its participants balances out the narratives that show the imperialistic motives of some of its leaders.
Even the first Crusade, which accomplished its goal and was glorified at the time, had leaders who broke their word to a fellow Christian, the Emperor in Constantinople. Subsequent Crusaders called it quits due to catastrophic losses or spectacular wins with sufficient booty to return home with some wealth. Noble after noble declared himself King and/or Queen of Jerusalem and then fought to attain the status, not only with the Muslims who held the city, but also with each other. All the while, new Crusaders were recruited from among the faithful. Some nobles gave up their lands and possessions, and common soldiers gave up all to take the Crusader vows. Francis of Assisi journeyed to Egypt to convert Sultan al-Kamil to Christianity.
Madden shows how Crusading was a local affair as well. The Reconquest of Spain, begun several centuries before the formal designation of Crusade, is a clear victory for the Catholics. The Albigensian Crusade, which also meets its aims, seems to be a sanctified witch hunt combined with a territorial war. The Children's Crusade sounds like a group of zealots dispersing into reality at the end of their march.
Amid all the destruction and the shattered lives of survivors, there are fascinating personalities. Places such as Constantinople, Damascus and Cyprus have their own unique sagas over these years.
If you have read, as I have, pieces of the Crusade story in biographies and other histories this is a particularly good book for you. It gives you a good background in one cohesive narrative. ...more
Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II by Keith Low concludes with a chapter on how the Soviet communists took advantage of a devastSavage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II by Keith Low concludes with a chapter on how the Soviet communists took advantage of a devastated Europe to control the destinies of millions of people. Anne Applebaum picks up the story from there, showing in detail the steps that solidified Soviet power in Poland, Hungary and East Germany for two generations.
The pattern was the same in each of these three countries. The Russian army, being place at the war's end, was able to take credit for liberating these areas from German control. Each of the areas had a communist party that benefited from the Soviet presence. The international community, tired of war, gave Stalin a pass which he methodically and ruthlessly used.
In the first year the communists (the Russians in cooperation with the locals) were not so forceful, permitting elections, some opposition and some opposition newspapers. After huge electoral defeats (I was surprised at the size of losses) the speed of dropping the "Iron Curtain "was amazing. Applebaum details the use of violence (inclusive of threats and pre-emptive terror), the institution of secret police, the manipulation of ethnic prejudices, the seizure of property, the destruction and co-option of local institutions (from churches to the chess clubs), the control of jobs, ration cards, media, educaton/youth and the installation of convenient, dull, conservative local puppets.
Applebaum notes that the west was well aware of the torture, the prisons the expropriation of wealth. There was some treaty language that made for gray areas, but the manner of occupation was clearly a violation of international law. The US and Britain were war weary and leaders didn't think they could "sell" more war to their constituents. Stalin had a clear path.
Like Savage Continent, the story is told through both the large issues and the stories of the many people caught up in these overwhelming events. The many stories make the book. Salomon Morel (p. 134-5) was a concentration camp survivor who upon liberation became a brutal commandant of a communist internment camp. In 2005, facing war crimes charges, Isreal (where he had fled) claimed he was a victim. Geza Supka (pp. 296 -299) had a distinguished career as head of Hungary's National Museum and a long resume of accomplishments. His surveillance file provides a fascinating look at the methods of the secret police. Wanda Telakowska (pp. 343 - 346) was able to contend with wretched constraints and pressures and have a productive career enabling artists in Poland. The story of the sad death and funeral of Laszlo Rajk (pp 454-455) drips with irony. These are only a few of the stories of the "unfamous". Each of the leaders of the three countries and their rise to power is also profiled.
Late in the book, Applebaum touches on the topic of mental health. While the space devoted to it in this book is appropriate, I would like to see more work done on this. The people profiled here suffered loss, grief, the loneliness of not be able to share their thoughts, problems of trust, the stress of poverty and restricted movement, and the inner conflict of saying and singing words that contradicted their hearts. I'd be interested in more work describing the mental processes of coping with totalitarianism and adjusting to its aftermath.
There is a lot of research in this book and it is presented in a very readable way. It is highly recommended. ...more
With little information available, Man gives as informative a book as might be expected. Maybe 1/3 of it is about Attila, including what is known of hWith little information available, Man gives as informative a book as might be expected. Maybe 1/3 of it is about Attila, including what is known of his family, his headquarters, his entertainments and of course his battles.
While the history of Huns and the rise and fall of Attila are the themes of the book, the author presents this period of the Roman Empire in a very readable way. Last year I had read the Peter Heather book on Rome and the barbarians, and for description of Rome in this period, these two books complement each other nicely.
Rome, overly large and waning in ability to defend itself, hires Huns, pays ransom $ to Huns, bribes Huns and fights Huns. There are diplomats, an assassination attempt, competition and integration of other peoples and tribes and turning points. There are marriages, hostages and proposals. There scorched earth seizures and battles.
Man has interesting friends who share his passion for Hun history. They run museums from Mongolia to Hungary, dig up artifacts and study mounted bow hunting. He introduces us to them in diversionary parts of the narrative.
The best part for me, aside from the description of the Hun compound, was the summation at the end. Unlike Ghengis Khan, Attila had no long term vision and built no administrative structure. Nothing much really followed him. Man has some interesting phrases for expressing the ephemeral nature of it all. Attila created a bunch of "speed bumps" in the building of Europe and that his life was "a perfect balance of pluses and minuses, signifying nothing."
A chapter called "Aftermath" citing the numerous poems, paintings and songs that celebrate his image, however misinformed, has the best epitaph of all. Due to these cultural creations from the middle ages to Kipling and Wagner, his name resounds as an "archetype of a certain sort of power." Its really apt... "a certain sort of power." ...more
This is a stunning portrait of the continent-wide upheaval that followed World War II. The cover itself is vastly different from the American post-warThis is a stunning portrait of the continent-wide upheaval that followed World War II. The cover itself is vastly different from the American post-war images of cheering crowds and ticker tape parades.
The average European soldier, prisoner of war, or concentration camp survivor did not go home to a GI Bill, a booming economy, or even a welcome. Going home probably meant a new internment in a former death camp where supplies were short. Since most transportation was destroyed travel was by foot with little food, shelter or protection from bandits or partisans along the way. Most likely the home was destroyed, and the community with it.
Keith Howe brings a lot together. He presents statistics along with the human tragedies that define them. He arranges the work by problems (loss of infrastructure, need for revenge, famine, legal breakdown, the frequency and brutality of rape, ethnic hatred, famine, and moral destruction) and by country.
He shows World War II was many wars within one, and how the surrender of the big powers did not settle all the issues. Crowds, in the heat of liberation, meted out more punishment for the perpetrators of the war than the official system. In some counties, the perpetrators were useful to the victors and flourished. In some countries, the war heroes received more punishment for their newly out of fashion views than collaborators or fascists.
Women may have been the most heavily scapegoated for crimes of passion or prostitution. Many had their hair shorn for collaboration and were marched naked (while collaborators who sent others to their deaths skated free). If they had a child with a German father, the child faced discrimination or even expulsion. In the post-war chaos, many were raped, many at very young ages, many multiple times a day.
Putting an end to Hitler, did not put an end to the racism and nationalism. Lowe presents staggering statistics showing how countries closed ranks against "outsiders" as country after country expelled Germans, Jews or any other group it wanted rid of. The citizens took possession of land and goods before the expelled could actually pack.
The last chapters focus on how Russia took advantage of the chaos to implant its brand of communism in the eastern areas its army occupied at the war's end. Each nation was different, but had the brutal, dictatorial result was the same.
This is a stunning work. Lowe has produced not only a readable work but a reference work as well.
Due to the lack of a written record, it has been assumed that the decline in Roman civilization meant a cultural descent. One result is that the name Due to the lack of a written record, it has been assumed that the decline in Roman civilization meant a cultural descent. One result is that the name the "Dark Ages" was given to this period with very little understanding of what happened in them.
With photos and drawings showing unearthed artifacts and maps showing the wide dispersion of where they have been found, Wells makes the case for a lively culture with active trade in this period. Most striking to me was the minimal evidence of war in these archaeological sites.
Some finds in far flung areas are quite astounding. Page 155 shows remote and untillable the lands surrounding a harbor in England where archeologists have found more fine pottery, received in the 5th 6th and 7th centuries from ports in Spain and Northern Africa, than any other location. A bronze Buddha from the 6th century found in Sweden is pictured on page 163.
This little book provokes a lot of thought. The reader begins to realize what a loaded term "Dark Ages" actually is. The new decentralized civilization that came in the aftermath of Rome was seemingly more peaceful. It seemed to provide well for its people which is evidenced by protein in human remains and refinement in grave goods. While its architecture was more modest, it was practical (but what of the moving of stones from Roman buildings?). While the elites of the Roman Empire lived well, better than 80% of its population lived to support it through slavery and the peril and damage of military conquest. Perhaps the Dark Ages, boring as it might have been, was a better time for for the average Joe or Jane to live in. ...more
James Reston, Jr. takes this very complex material and brings it to life. This is a totally engrossing book. It helped me to understand this period ofJames Reston, Jr. takes this very complex material and brings it to life. This is a totally engrossing book. It helped me to understand this period of history in a way I had not before.
I cannot say enough about how well this is done. Reston introduces the characters and presents their actions and motivations at a pace the reader can understand. He brings the battles, the politics and the pageantry to life.
Reston, undoubtedly, had many decisions along the way, what to put in and what to leave out. He strikes and excellent balance.
James Reston illustrates how, at the end of the first millennium, Europe became more decidedly Christian than it had been before. Each region ChristiaJames Reston illustrates how, at the end of the first millennium, Europe became more decidedly Christian than it had been before. Each region Christianized in a different way, some retained their previous customs along side of the new monotheism.
Given the paucity of the record, there is little to work with. Reston does a good job of knitting it into a readable work. He is clear in stating that source material is often poetry and myth so historians and readers need to beware.
Whether or not specifics are true, there were three things that seemed conclusive. One is that in this period Christianity often spread by conquest. A second is that a few well born women were able to lead "countries" (areas?) and did not always have to marry to do it. The third, the advanced civilization of the Moors in Spain, has a supportive fact: Spain had 17 universities compared to two in the rest of Europe.
This book is definitely intended for a popular audience. The writing is clear and the characters are brought alive through their human characteristics. ...more
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