Hubris by Alistair Horne

Hubris: The Tragedy of War in the Twentieth Century by Alistair Horne

I was in the city in late October 2017 and picked up this book for $10 from the Book Grocer in Bourke St. As I am in twentieth century history mode at the moment, I thought it would be good to read.

Ok, here's the synopsis

In Greek tragedy, hubris is excessive human pride that challenges the gods and ultimately leads to downfall. From the Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War to Hitler’s 1940 invasion of Moscow to MacArthur’s disastrous advance in Korea, 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 a devastating combination of human ambition and arrogance led to overreach. Making clear the danger of hubris in warfare, his insights are deeply relevant and hold important lessons for civilian and military leaders navigating today’s complex global landscape.

Coming in at 382 pages, it was an interesting read that I knocked off in a couple of weeks.

It reminds me of Barbara Tuchman's book The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam which I read last year. Both books are written around the same theme, namely the inability of nations to learn from the mistakes of the past. See http://timsbestreads.blogspot.com.au/p/barbara-tuchman.html.

Now I must admit that I prefer a book that focuses on one campaign or one war or one period of world history. Horne covers 6 campaigns - Tsushima, Khalkin-Gol, Moscow, Midway, the Korean War, and Dien Bien Phu. But you can't do justice to such campaigns in 40-50 pages each so the book is probably unsatisfying in the final analysis.