Hubris, Alistair Horne
Hubris, Alistair Horne
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Hubris
The Tragedy of War in the Twentieth Century

Author: Alistair Horne

Narrator: James Adams

Unabridged: 12 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 11/17/2015


Synopsis

“EMINENTLY PROVOCATIVE AND READABLE.”—THE WALL STREET JOURNALSir Alistair Horne has been a close observer of war and history for more than fifty years and in this wise and masterly work, he revisits six battles of the past century and examines the strategies, leadership, preparation, and geopolitical goals of aggressors and defenders to reveal the one trait that links them all: hubris.In Greek tragedy, hubris is excessive human pride that challenges the gods and ultimately leads to total destruction of the offender. From the 1905 Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War, to Hitler's 1941 bid to capture Moscow, to MacArthur's disastrous advance in Korea, to the French downfall at Dien Bien Phu, Horne shows how each of these battles was won or lost due to excessive hubris on one side or the other. In a sweeping narrative written with his trademark erudition and wit, Horne provides a meticulously detailed analysis of the ground maneuvers employed by the opposing armies in each battle. He also explores the strategic and psychological mindset of the military leaders involved to demonstrate how devastating combinations of human ambition and arrogance led to overreach. Making clear the danger of hubris in warfare, his insights hold resonant lessons for civilian and military leaders navigating today's complex global landscape.A dramatic, colorful, stylishly-written history, Hubris is a much-needed reflection on war from a master of his field.

About Alistair Horne

Sir Alistair Horne is the author of over twenty books on history and politics. They include A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 (winner of the Wolfson Prize); The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 (winner of the Hawthornden Prize); How Far from Austerlitz?: Napoleon 1805-1815 ; and Seven Ages of Paris . In 1969, he founded the Alistair Horne Fellowship to help young historians at St. Antony's College, Oxford. He was awarded the French Legion d'honneur in 1993 and received a knighthood in 2003 for his work on French history. Horne and his artist wife, Sheelin, live in Oxfordshire.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Joseph on January 05, 2016

This is presumably Alistair Horne's last work, and it's a solid end to a life of journalism and research in military affairs. Horne, as always, is an engaging writer and grand storyteller. The book is an odd sort of project, though. It's really just 6 battles/wars that he had never written much abou......more

Goodreads review by Ben on July 28, 2022

3.5 Stars. This is the second book by Alistair Horne that I have read, the first being the Price of Glory. I found the earlier parts of this book, the areas related to the Russo-Japanese war and the battle of Khalkin Gol to be most informative. Once the author got into the Korean War and then The Fre......more

Goodreads review by Liam || Books 'n Beards on February 12, 2018

I got this book for $6, and at that price point I'd probably rate this higher - but as a book, I wasn't that fussed. Hubris covers six conflicts, three in detail and three very briefly. The first is Tsushima, the Japanese defeat of Russia in a large naval battle in the Tsushima Strait, a battle I'd......more

Goodreads review by Daniel on November 22, 2015

Fascinating and with the touch of a master storyteller's hand, if there's one history I will recommend this Christmas season, it will be Alistair Horne's Hubris: the Tragedy of War in the Twentieth Century. Interesting and accessible, Horne's approach is a narrative that doesn't merely tell a story,......more

Goodreads review by Amanda on November 23, 2015

So, the author clearly knows his stuff - the book seems factual and well-informed. I was bothered throughout, though, because there are absolutely no citations. Some, but not all, of the many direct quotes that he uses are attributed, but never directly cited, and he includes a Select Bibliography a......more