Reviews (1)

Short and Sweet
I walked into this book knowing virtually nothing about Cuba, and this book did an excellent job of providing a short overview of modern Cuba. The history begins with the war for independence from Spain, and proceeds through all of the revolutionary movements, through to Castro's takeover, the Soviet relationship with Cuba, and Castro's changing policies. I found it very enlightening, a quick read, and well worth an afternoon! I would have given it a higher rating if it had more unique information, but it keeps the readers interest, and gives a reasonable overview of the politics and economics of the country. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Caribbean & West Indies - Cuba    3. Caribbean & West Indies - General    4. Cuba    5. Cuba - History    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Latin America - Central America    10. Revolutionary    11. American history    12. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    13. Travel / Caribbean & West Indies   

Reviews (4)

James Billington's classic from our time
This is one of the great history books of our time.
INSIDERS' VIEW!
This is another MUST read for ALL AMERICANS or any serious minded student of history,professional or not.Mr.Billington,who I believe is still head of the Library of Congress(though he MAY have recently retired)was appointted,to that position by Reagan, explores the role secret societies have played in revolutionary movements since the time of the AMERICAN/FRENCH revolution to the RUSSIAN revolution.It MAY change your view on "How the World Really Works.I stole that lasy phrase from the late Mr.Wanniski-a conservative.

Salutari Illuminati
Noone has mentioned the cousin to this book which is Carrol Quigly's "Tragedy and Hope".Dr Quigly went to Harvard and taught at Georgetown where he, according to Clinton in his inaugual address, became the mentor to future president Bill Clinton.Please read my review of Quigly's work where I reveal a third book that is just as essential as Billingtons and Quiglys...and that throws a curve even at the most well read and learned! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    3. General    4. History    5. History: World    6. Intellectual History    7. Modern - 19th Century    8. Revolutionaries    9. Revolutions    10. Violence in Society    11. Europe    12. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    13. History / General    14. Revolutions & coups   

Reviews (3)

History, Myth and the Boxers
"History in Three Keys" is an excellent history of the Boxer Rebellion in northern China in the late nineteenth century.Even more than that, however, it is a look at the historian's craft, how history is experienced and related, and how history is used in the present.The book is divided into three parts, which discuss the Boxer Rebellion as Event, Experience and Myth.The first consists of standard historical writing, a brief survey of the Boxer movement.It relates important names, dates, ideas and events in a narrative history constructed by the author. Awesome
I enjoyed this book immensely.The book is split into three parts, each covering the same events from different perspective. Livin' day by day
Cohen's book analyzes a particularly notorious (for Chinese and Western commentators) historical event--the Boxer Rebellion in North China (1899-1900) from an extremely fresh perspective. It is hardlypoststructuralist to assert that people live history one day at a time,rather than according to some grand plan, and that is how Cohen treats theBoxer Rebellion. Most Western scholars merely see the Boxers as amanifestation of an irrational, bloodthirsty xenophobiba, while Chinesescholars seem to fall into two categories: (1) those like the earlytwentieth century modernizers who saw the Boxers as an embarrassment to thecause of national unity and freedom, and (2) those like Communist Chinesehistorians who see the Boxers as a precursor of their own victoriousstruggle in 1949. Cohen masterfully demythologizes the Boxers and puts theminto the context of (gasp!) their own lives. Working from a combination ofsecondary and primary sources, Cohen reconstructs the domestic situation inChina during the late nineteenth century and argues that domestic issues(particularly famine and floods) more than anything else prompted the Boxeruprising. This thesis, of course, turns on its head the idea that theBoxers were an instrument of the evil Dowager Empress Cixi in order toprevent Westerners from disturbing China's ancient and corrupt culture.Cohen is especially interesting in examining the mechanics and experienceof mythmaking, applied in this case to the Boxers but which could beapplied to just about any event or experience that has emotional orsubjective importance for a group of people. This book is extremely usefulfor anyone, history students or otherwise, who are interested in Chinesehistory, or perhaps more fundamentally, how we reconstruct the past inorder for it to make sense. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Boxer Rebellion, 1899-1901    3. China    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: c 1500 to c 1900    8. Christianity    9. History / Asia    10. Revolutions & coups    11. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (5)

Good Read if you hate people like Karl Baxter
The Amerikkkan government has repeatedly blocked loans to Haiti from the IMF, that would raise Haitians quality of life by providing clean water, roads and medical supplies. Why would such a super hyper-power as the U.S. stoop so low as to block much needed aid to it's tiny island neighbor, after the International Monetary Fund was ready to release the loans?
Great:Detailed, but goes down easy
This book was a true pleasure to read.DuBois is the kind of historian who deserves to be teaching high school students (I mean this as a compliment) because while makes sure to include all relevant details about the Haitain revolution, he makes this book read like a fascinating story.This is a wonderful and well developed book, suitable for both laymen and scholars.
Excellent, Engaging Story That Needs To Be Heard
The story of the sucessful slave rebellion, complete with perhaps a dozen illustrations.This work is very engaging, and the subject is rarely studied by today's students.I have recommended this book to many people, it is really great.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies - General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Revolutionary    6. Slavery    7. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    8. Haiti    9. History / Caribbean & West Indies    10. Slavery & emancipation    11. c 1700 to c 1800   

Subjects:  1. 1989-    2. Eastern Europe - General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Politics and government    7. Revolution, 1989    8. Revolutionary    9. Romania    10. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -   

Reviews (43)

Exceedingly insightful view of Revoltionary Radicalism
The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon Wood is simply a magnificent thesis on the evolution of political thought, society and commerce all of which was radically altered just before, during and after the Revolutionary War.This book is about the radicalism of ideas, mainly a Republic run by elites or a true Democracy, with all its short comings.Wood's research is, as always, superb as he searched papers, sermons and letters that largely prove his central theme correct.
A fresh look
It's hard to outdo yourself when you're Gordon Wood, but he nevertheless proves himself yet again with this book.So many books on the founding of America focus on the war itself or the political problems facing the writers of the Constitution( i.e. slavery, states' rights, etc).Others, like Jack Greene in "Pursuits of Happiness", make further inroads by laying out the conditions and developments which led to the mindset of the 1776 American patriot.But Wood goes even further, brilliantly outlining the development of the social thought of the day, the social thought which, in its time, was more revolutionary than any war of independence.
IN THE TIME OF THE REPUBLIC OF LETTERS
The history of revolutions, at least the modern ones, have always been preceded by an animated struggle over radical/revolutionary ideas which more or less animated the progressive parties to push forward to what is an exception circumstance in the historic process, revolution-the going over from the old order to a new order by means of eliminating the old ruling class and installing a new one. Thus, the English Revolution of the 1600's found plenty of pamphleteers and publicists, especially among the Levelers (the secular democratic wing of the parliamentary forces) in the struggle to gain parliamentary ascendance. The French Revolution was inundated from many sources with ideas about which way society should be run leading up to the famous Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. And certainly the Russian Revolution, the most conscious effort at revolution known to history, was centrally determined by the titanic struggle by the various liberal and social-democratic parties over ideas. The book under review here takes its place in the debate over the role of such ideas in the American Revolution. Professor Wood is thus on fertile ground in tracing the history of the prevailing pre-revolutionary ideas which culminated in the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution as well as the later struggle between the ideas of a society run as a democracy or as a republic which burst forth after the revolution.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 1775-1783, Revolution    2. 18th century    3. History    4. History - U.S.    5. History: American    6. Political culture    7. Politics and government    8. Radicalism    9. Revolution, 1775-1783    10. Social aspects    11. United States    12. United States - Revolutionary War    13. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    14. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    15. Revolutions & coups    16. USA   

Reviews (59)

Fantastic, indespensible & accurate.
One of the best popular history works on the American Revolution.Fischer builds up the atmosphere of Middlesex County in 1775 perfectly, and while his thesis is that Revere held a much more important role in the coming of the Revolution than a "midnight rider" he supports it with meticulous notes and information.Fischer also gives the reader a great interpretation of what the British went through; mostly green troops stationed in a very hostile countryside.
The definitive work on Paul Revere
'Paul Revere's Ride' is a superbly written historical account of the American legend Paul Revere. His life and character are explained in depth and his story is fluently blended with the general context of the revolution. Surprisingly, the actual "midnight ride" was only a small fraction of this man's contribution to the revolution. Fischer describes how Revere was an influential community leader in Boston well before his legendary ride. I was also surprised to learn that Revere was at the heart of the rebellion in New England, and was instrumental in organizing the resistance. He was notorious among the British, who viewed him as a dangerous rabble-rouser. He was also a skilled artisan, as well as a devout Christian. Revere was a product of Puritan New England and it seems that he and his peers-which included Sam Adams and John Hancock-had more of a sense of divine mission than their counterparts in the south. Taken from page 175:
You mean Revere had more than one ride?
What a joy it was to read this book, and another of Fischer's books; Washington's Crossing. Written in narrative storytelling fashion, the book moves briskly--but with urgency. I will save the long reviews for the top 500 writers here at Amazon, but I found this book to be extremely satisfying. I have listened to many history buffs and history professors argue whether Paul Revere was a true founding father, or a great patriot of the time. Whatever their prevailing opinions, Revere was an extraordinarily brave individual who's continued participation helped change the course of our history. We know him for his one ride. Read the book to learn why that ride was only one of his minor accomplishments. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1735-1818    2. Art    3. Concord, Battle of, Concord, Mass., 1775    4. History    5. History - U.S.    6. History: American    7. Lexington, Battle of, Lexington, Mass., 1775    8. Massachusetts    9. Revere, Paul    10. Revere, Paul,    11. Revolution, 1775-1783    12. Techniques - Painting    13. United States - Revolutionary War    14. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    15. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    16. History, American | Colonial & Revolutionary    17. Revolutions & coups    18. USA    19. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (12)

The ABC's of Revolution
The life of Leon Trotsky is intimately entwined with the rise and decline of the Russian Revolution in the first part of the 20th century. As a young man, like an extraordinary number of talented Russian youth he entered the revolutionary struggle against Czarism in the late 1890's. Shortly thereafter he embraced what became a lifelong devotion to a Marxist political perspective. However, except for the period of the 1905 Revolution when Trotsky was chairman of the Petrograd Soviet and later in 1912 when he tried to unite all the Russian Social Democratic forces in an ill-fated unity conference, which goes down in history as the `August Bloc', he was essentially a free lancer in the international socialist movement. At that time Trotsky saw the Bolsheviks as `sectarians' as it was not clear to him that for socialist revolution to be successful the reformist and revolutionary wings of the movement had to be split. With the coming of World War I Trotsky drew closer to Bolshevik positions but did not actually join the party until the summer of 1917 when he entered the Central Committee after the fusion of his organization, the Inter-District Organization, and the Bolsheviks. This represented an important and decisive switch in his understanding of the necessity of a revolutionary party.
One of the best books ever written about revolution
In spite of its length, I've read this book several times. It isn't just a widely acclaimed historic and literary masterpiece, written by a leading participant in the events he describes. It isn't just vividly written and thoroughly researched.
How to overthrow the profit system
This is one of the most exciting books I've ever read.It tells the amazing story of the Russian revolution of 1917, from the overthrow of the Czar to the Bolshevik Revolution of October.What makes it an incredible read is that the author, Leon Trotsky, was at the middle of it all, as one of the central planners of the insurrection that took power. Trotsky was a great revolutionary and great writer. But one thing I especially like about the book is that Trotsky uses excerpts from many other accounts, including those who hated him with a passion, to tell the story accurately.It is an inspiring story, especially for new generations of young people, workers and farmers who need to learn about an example showing that the dog-eat-dog system of capitalism we live in can be overthrown.For the definitive account of how this great revolution was later derailed, see Trotsky's Revolution Betrayed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - General    2. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Revolution, 1917-1921    7. Soviet Union    8. European history: from c 1900 -    9. First World War, 1914-1918    10. Marxism & Communism    11. Revolutions & coups    12. Russia   

Reviews (6)

Grossly inaccurate
Although the book does contain truthful and revelant empirical raw data, the author severely slants the truth (and even sometimes makes half-truths to the point of incorrectly naming Presidents) to the point of satisfying her own argument. Although Castro may very much enjoy her deptiction of the sustained need for socialism, my exiled family as well as my Cuban colleagues find the book disheartening as it weaves a fairytale for Castro as the glorious Savior of the Republic. The fact is that although the Republic did need change, it needed sustained political evolution, not revoltuion as found in the Castro regime. As my family is and comes from a family of Cuban politicians trying to advocate such change, her book is a tragic misinterpretation of those great ideals the infant Republic was trying to accomplish. If you are interested in knowing more about what actually occurred, not some socialist propaganda, watch Andy Garcia's movie The Lost City.

elections in Cuba
in response to the review on nov 23 entitled "inadequate and biased". YOu should check your facts. Try reading Isaac Saney's Cuba a Revolution in Motion to read how democracy in Cuba works. Or better yet, go to Cuba during elections and see for yourself. It seems that your review is inaccurate and biased.

Falls a bit short.
Rarely does one find a book concerning the Cuban Revolution in which the author at least makes an effort to keep there political views out of the analysis.Marifeli Perez-Stable is no exception, as her book will either be praised by the left, or critizied by the right.In writing such a biased account her credibility is jepordized; not only because anyone with half a brain will realize this, but anyone with limited study in regards to the revolution see's many flaws.Amongst the most prevelant is the complete neglect of Cuba's "Counterculture" and the booming tobacco industry in Cuba throughout the 50's (she harbors on sugar as if every Cuban was either a plantation owner or slave).Hopefully Cuban books in the future will steer clear of political biases and present the facts, and only the facts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Rome    2. Caribbean & West Indies - General    3. Causes    4. Cuba    5. Cuba - History    6. Government - Comparative    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Influence    11. Latin America - General    12. Revolution, 1959    13. 20th century    14. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. History / Latin America    16. History, World | Latin American    17. Marxism & Communism    18. Revolutions & coups   

Reviews (4)

Packed with info.Hard to read.
This book is packed with useful insights but it is not for the Central Asian novice.I give it two stars because it is hard to read and could be better organized. The information in it is five star.It is a graduate-school level analysis of the evolution of the current Central Asian nation-states.It is what would be expected from a person in Roy's position; researcher at the Centre National des Recherches Scientifques.The book was originally written in French and translated into English for this edition.That in itself is not a problem but the writing style is one that has a heavy "fog factor".There are numerous sentences that are 60 words long and contain multiple commas, parenthetical statements, hyphens and semi colons in one sentence.If you can slog through syntax you can glean a lot of useful information.My suggestion is you have some understanding of Central Asian history and geography before you attempt this book. The lack of maps would make it really difficult for a beginning reader of Central Asia.Central Asia in Historical Perspective (edited by Manz), although a graduate-level text, is better organized and easier to understand.

Caution to the reader
I purchased this book after I developed an increasing interest in the politics and history of Central Asia.At that point, I had read a couple of books on the topic, leaving me with a feeling of general competence.This book, however, was seriously beyond my level of knowledge, and I'd like to caution readers with anything below a superior understanding of Soviet and Central Asian History.The author "jumps" around the region quite a bit, creating problems which compound themselves, particularly as no maps are included anywhere in the book.If you do not possess an intimate knowledge of the geography, I suggest waiting until your mental map is more complete (as I'll be doing). Making Sense of Central Asia
Olivier Roy is a well-known expert on Islam, the Arab world and Central Asia.His The New Central Asia is an excellent examination of the creation of new nations that emerged from the end of the Soviet Union in 1992.He contends that while these new republics are in search of identity (in essence creating new nationalisms), they have also inherited the older Soviet system of rule and institutions, which were not democratic and more oriented to personality cults and heavy-handed treatment of the opposition. This explains the difficult path countries such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have had through the 1990s and into the next decade. For anyone looking at the problems of development as well as wishing to obtain a better understanding of a pivotal geo-political zone, Roy's well-researched book is worth the read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Asia - General    3. Asia, Central    4. Current Affairs    5. History    6. History & Theory - General    7. Nationalism    8. Political    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. ASIA, CENTRAL_HISTORY    12. Azerbaijan    13. History / Asia    14. Kazakhstan    15. Kirghizia (Kirghizstan)    16. NATIONALISM_ASIA    17. Revolutions & coups    18. Tadzhikistan (Tajikistan)    19. Turkmenistan    20. Uzbekistan    21. c 1990 to c 2000   

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Historical - U.S.    3. History    4. History: World    5. Presidents & Heads of State    6. Revolutionary    7. United States - Civil War    8. History / Revolutionary   

Reviews (8)

in demand?
I ran into this book at the age of 12. When I realized how much fun this book could be (a few years later) it had disappeared from the local library. Looking for years at many university libraries, later I found out that even when it was listed it turned out to be stolen!
Totally worthless.
This book is absolute rubbish, utterly without merit.A team of trained monkeys could have done better.Nothing helpful here whatsoever.

Valuable political technology
Edward Luttwak's first and finest work, Coup d'Etat is the product of the close study of how dozens of governments around the world were successfully overthrown.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Coups d'etat    2. General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. History    5. Military    6. Military - General    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Management & management techniques    10. Political Science / General    11. Revolutions & coups   

Editorial Review

Most of us are familiar with the role that North and South Carolina played in the American Civil War: if nothing else, every grade-schooler knows the significance of the 1861 bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. But to popular historianJohn Buchanan, "that tragedy is of far less interest than the American Revolution. The Revolution was the most important event in American history. The Civil War was unfinished business." And the Carolinas, Buchanan convincingly argues, were the most critical theater in that conflict, with their wild Back Country seeing "a little-known but savage civil war far exceeding anything in the North."Read more

Reviews (27)

Brings His Historical Characters Back to Life
Buchanan has done a remarkable job of bringing to life the key Revoluntionary War characters and events of 1780-81 in the Carolinas.His masterful interpretation of personalities and their motives provides insight into the critical battles of the southern war.He moves back and forth between the major antagonists on both sides to develop the background for understanding the brilliance of the rebel strategy and the British arrogance that lead to their eventual loss in the south.Not only do we learn about famous personalities such as Francis Marion, Daniel Morgan, Nathanael Greene, Lord Cornwallis and Banastre Tarleton, but we gain an understanding of the anonymous mortals without whom the Revolution would have been lost:the individual militia men from the back country of the Carolinas.Buchanan has an uncanny ability to explain in simple language the complexities of the troop placement and individual unit actions that occurred in the various battles.However, his book would be immensely improved if he had provided maps of the region and of the battlegrounds he described.Like many biographers, Buchanan grows to have an attachment (or detachment) for the people he has so painstakingly researched, which I find of great interest.One must be aware of some of the potential bias that might creep in with any biographical interpretation, including his. I recently finished biographies on Daniel Morgan and Nathanael Greene, yet discovered new information about each man in Buchanan's exposition.A very thorough job, indeed.One caveat:one should probably have read somewhat extensively regarding the Revolution to fully enjoy and understand Buchanan's book.He occasionally assumes some prior knowledfge of events and people.

Great book
Buchanon does a great job putting to paper his opinions on his research.The book reads as a great novel would and you can actually become excited while reading it.
Superb history of the Southern Campaigns
This is one of the finest books I have yet read on a seriesRead more

Subjects:  1. Campaigns    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: American    5. North Carolina    6. Revolution, 1775-1783    7. South Carolina    8. United States    9. United States - Revolutionary War    10. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    11. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    12. Revolutions & coups    13. USA   

Reviews (160)

Fascinating Analysis of Leftist Goals
A former 1960s radical, Horowitz is well-acquainted with the Leftist mindset.In this book, he strives to explain the modern alliance between left wing progressivists and radical Islamofascists.He argues that this alliance is based on a common desire to destroy Western capitalism.Leftist sympathy with Islamofascist ideas makes no sense from an intellectual point of view, given that countries ruled by radical Islamists are among the most racist, sexist, theocratic states in the world today.However, Leftists have recognized that they can benefit politically from destructive terrorist attacks on the Western world.A West under attack can be made to turn on its leaders in fear and desperation (as they did in Spain after the Madrid train bombings).Only once people reject current government structures can the Left execute its anti-capitalist revolution and build a new reality that mirrors the Leftist view of utopia.The complete and utter idealogical hypocrisy of the Islamofascist-Leftist alliance is distressing, but as Horowitz reminds us, Leftists radicals truly believe the ends justify the means.

treason - pure, simple and proven
This is an excellent book. It shows clearly that the democratic party is a criminal conspiracy that wants to destroy America. There is no difference between the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan...and democrats like Edward Kennedy in America. Treason is being taught in our schools, implemented by our courts and controls our news.
Has academia finally blown it?
Siding with the Islamists may be the Transformationists first big blunder: in so doing, they have antagonized the one group in America powerful enough to oppose them.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. International Relations - General    3. Islam    4. Islam and politics    5. Non-Classifiable    6. Nonfiction    7. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    8. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    9. Political Science    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Radicalism    13. Right and left (Political scie    14. United States    15. Political Science / International Relations    16. Revolutions & coups   

Reviews (2)

A Serious Study As To How Hamas Is Able To Survive
Matthew Levitt , Senior Fellow and Director of Terrorism Studies at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and who has served since 2005 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the U.S. Department of Treasury has placed the hot-button issue of Hamas into perspective with his exhaustive exposé Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism In the Service of Jihad.
Hamas : Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad
Hamas's election victory shocked the West."I don't see how you can be a partner for peace if you advocate the destruction of a country as part of your platform," President Bush said at a January 26 news conference after the results were announced. Subsequently,Washington cut off aid money to the new Hamas-dominated government, yet the White House's resolve was not matched elsewhere. Two weeks after the election, Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party feted Hamas political leader Khalid Mishaal, a wanted terrorist. And earlier this month the Swedish government broke European consensus to issue a visa for a Hamas minister to attend a conference calling for the Jewish state's destruction. Moscow has even suggested supplying arms to Hamas.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Da°wah (Islam)    2. General    3. Israel    4. Middle East - General    5. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Suicide bombings    10. History / Middle East    11. Palestine    12. Revolutions & coups    13. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle