Mark > Recent Status Updates

Narrative history which is interesting. Very lightly cited but it’s not trying to be that sort of history book (which was what I was expecting tbh). Very oriented around the perspective of the Arabs, and subjective interpretation as the crusaders slowly come in. Cool!

While this is a pretty great diplomatic history, it’s a bad personal history. I don’t care about his mistress tell me about Austria

Trying to hype myself back into finishing the other books with this fun (and relatively short) one on audiobook. Don’t know much about Bismarck tbh, and have spent a long time pretty turned off by anything smacking too much of personalist/great man historical info, but this author has a great style, and a richness of reference that makes historical works fun!!

War memoirs are my version of court of thorns and roses/sarah j maas type slop. Endlessly entertaining. Anyway this one is extremely detailed, pro Kruschev anti Stalin (political but in a boring way) + somewhat more self aggrandizing than usual memoirs. But the detail about reconstituting retreating units to defend the approach to Stalingrad has such precision and imagination and anecdotes galore, I must appreciate

Russia and Britain as moderating dual hegemons, not directly competing, but managing competition effectively. 1815-1818

The concert of Europe established (finished with the Vienna conference) The long 19 century exiting its adolescence. The New Imperalist balance of power entrenched, youthful. The trenches and 20th century struggling to be born, a glimmer in the eye. Austria’s insecurity simply postponed, the assassination of the archduke almost obvious 100 years beforehand

A detailed description of AH and German(DE) capacity for war and how people responded, with an emphasis on AH nationalities and how they responded, political missteps by the leadership. Then many pages of the classic descriptions of DE timetables, adv. to Liege, an overview of the war plan and its reqs. Care is taken to explain atrocities, mentality of the soldiers, gen strategic plan and mil culture in FR/DE/AH army

Sorry every other book subject genre topic field of inquiry I am so close to unlocking the hermetic truths underlying global development under capitalism over the last 250 years. Just one more book about the First World War!!!!! Just one more international relations book!!!!

I will look back on this book as critical in my historical understanding, I wish I had tried reading it in college. Unbelievably good, totally ignores the military part of the Napoleonic wars in a way that makes you wonder why anyone talks about the battles or campaigns.

The strain of war makes the balance of power rear its head again (getting nearer to the end of Nap Wars)

The underlying logic of constant competition leads to its natural break from a revolutionary (in IR terms ‘revisionist’ actor) government and individual (Napoleon) who has maximalist goals and no commitment to collective security, due to France’s inherently insecure position in the prior balance. British and Russians continue to waffle to stop an existential crisis from France, Austria/cent europe the victim

Gonna write a big review for this. SImultaneously sobering, enlightening, and enthralling. The American mismanagement of this conflict is so comprehensive it's astounding. But this work, which interviewed everyone from Bush to almost every officer on the ground in Iraq, does a great job breaking all the issues down in a no-punches-pulled way. They are extremely critical of American policy of occupation. Great book!

Amazing

Re reading. Unbelievable blunders one after another. This book is from a series of colonels at the US army war college, and it’s an official history and analysis of the Iraq War. They are extremely critical, and have access to huge amounts of interviews and information. This work is very even handed, and does an excellent job showing exactly where all the points of failure were from an ‘objective’ standpoint

Magisterial, listening on audiobook. My favorite historian by far. Economic, social, political history. First third focused on 1914-1945 and the consequences of the depression. Phenomenal and enlightening.

France consolidates, Prussia makes an effort only after Austria is subdued and Russia is reluctant to help, far too late. Berlin degree (confidential system established) analyzed in detail as part of the overarching structure of French domination of allies. Persistent theme: three hegemonic powers (Russia, France, Britain) constantly jockeying: France escalating, Britain reluctant, Russia balancing (late)

At 1806, Napoleon is a tremendous figure but the book does a good job analyzing all the diplomats and foreign ministries and national strategies rather than focusing on him. He’s a little one dimensional in his pursuit of open ended dominance in this reading, but it feeds well into the thesis of the ‘destruction’ of 18th century politics over the course of the first decade of the 1800’s.

Moving past tactics, getting a bit better.

This last 30% has been a slog of just the most romanticized narrative of a french occupation mobile attack unit which, while interesting, feels extremely myopic and narrow considering the context of when he wrote (1963….) . Constant sentimentality and imagined conversations.

Worst part is I can’t even lose myself in the fighting. The most microscoped company level description, no op lvl analysis.

IDKK MAN …

Good but too tactical so far, not enough about counter insurgency or political discussion. Very methodical through the first war between France and the Viet Minh, battle by battle and their rationale. Definite sympathy towards the French, but this work is a classic and too highly recommended to let that stop the read.

The important thing, is not to be cured, but to live with one ailments. So far he's comparing the 'deification' of the irrational with certain Romanticists (my label) by acknowledging the absurdity of life and leaping into faith, compared with rationalists who attempt to dismiss the absurd or irrational parts of human life at the micro and macro. The argument has yet to come together yet, but I can see the weaving

Life affirming in a weird way. Not a futurist work, and you can tell his exhaustion is mounting. Out of dozens and dozens of named characters (all fellow soldiers), just encountered the 3rd person who he indicates will survive the war. Interesting book but I need to think on it more. Coming to Summer 1918 right now, the spring offensive just resolved, things are turning hard against the central’s, he notices now