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Collected reviews from decades of reading — organized by subject and written for clarity, context, and long-term reference.
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In the late eighteenth century, Adam Smith observed that “in ancient times the opulent and civilized found it difficult to defend themselves against the poor and barbarous nations; in modern times the poor and barbarous find it difficult to defend themselves against the opulent and civilized.” In truth, the success of the “West against the…
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You should be aware of a couple of things before reading “Nathaniel’s Nutmeg: Or, The True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History.” First, despite the title, this book has little to do with Nathaniel Courthope and his reputed adventures. In fact, Courthope doesn’t even appear in the narrative…
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“As long as human foresight remains imperfect, and our passions continue to induce us to fight one another, managing armed force wisely will remain both difficult and important.” So concludes historian William H. McNeil in this nifty essay of 48 pages, which is based largely on his lengthy treatise, “The Pursuit of Power: Technology, Armed…
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“Men, Machines, and Modern Times” by Elting Morison is a difficult book to review, primarily because it really isn’t a book at all, but rather a collection of lectures that the author delivered at various academic institutions in the 1950s. Taken together, the lectures address two distinct topics in the nature of innovation, although that’s…
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Roger Crowley has carved out a rather respectable niche for himself as a popular historian of the Mediterranean in the late Middle Ages. His scholarship is first-rate, his prose is crisp and colorful, his narratives are clear and accessible. His latest effort, “City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas,” is no exception. Crowley charts…
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The proverbial “Almighty Dollar” hasn’t always been so almighty. In fact, if you believe William Silber, it only just recently celebrated its 100th birthday. “When Washington Shut Down Wall Street: The Great Financial Crisis of 1914 and the Origins of America’s Monetary Supremacy” argues that because of a series of bold, controversial, but above all…
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In 1965, French Minister of Finance Valéry Giscard d’Estaing complained that the dollar’s dominance as the global reserve currency gave the United States an “exorbitant privilege.” I had heard that expression used many times before and picked up this book hoping to more fully understand the nature and extent of that privilege. Unfortunately, despite the…
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“Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer” was a commercial and critical smash hit from the moment it was released in 2007, and rightfully so. Author James Swanson weaves a detailed and enthralling narrative from first-hand accounts and documentary evidence. It’s trite to say that a popular work of historical non-fiction reads like a novel,…
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The 1956 Hungarian Revolution was one of the most remarkable events of the Cold War. Seemingly out of nowhere, and quite improbably, an entire people bravely rose up against the ruling communist party and the occupying Red Army. And for a brief moment, and even more improbably, they were victorious. Victor Sebestyen, a British citizen…
What's Tim Reading Now? 