Old Tom Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 This recent purchase was the result of a gift token and not a very large selection in the book shop. It does not seem to have been the subject of comment on this forum although published in 1998. However, the cover says it is ' The most challenging and provocative analysis of the First World War to date' by the Times is quoted as saying 'the most brilliant historian of his generation'. It will be a while before it is read. Old Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Tucker Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 The quotes probably came from Niall Ferguson himself or his alter ego! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John(txic) Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 It's dry, and heavy going - boring even - but most interesting in parts. Dip into it every now & then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 This recent purchase was the result of a gift token and not a very large selection in the book shop. It does not seem to have been the subject of comment on this forum although published in 1998. However, the cover says it is ' The most challenging and provocative analysis of the First World War to date' by the Times is quoted as saying 'the most brilliant historian of his generation'. It will be a while before it is read. Old Tom I have acouple of his books - gifts! Didn't properly finish either! I have heard that he is brilliant but his work sure doesn't appeal to me. H.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 Sadly he opens the book with one of the greatest myths of WWI that 26.4% of all Scottish recruits died in the War. The real figure is somewhere closer to half that figure and is another example of cut-and paste "research" that has not been verified. Extremely poor research. Even the Scottish National War Memorial agrees his figure is completely wrong. Perpetuated in mythology by the Scotsman and various other lazy authors........see thread here : http://1914-1918.inv...opic=180471&hl= He should hang his head in shame. It is utter rubbish. For the record I am grandson of a 6th Bn RSF James Maxwell and I value my Scottish heritage but I value the truth more.. This is not an English rant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 Sadly Ferguson's ego is unalterble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 Sadly he opens the book with one of the greatest myths of WWI that 26.4% of all Scottish recruits died in the War. The real figure is somewhere closer to half that figure and is another example of cut-and paste "research" that has not been verified. Extremely poor research. Even the Scottish National War Memorial agrees his figure is completely wrong. Perpetuated in mythology by the Scotsman and various other lazy authors........see thread here : http://1914-1918.inv...opic=180471&hl= He should hang his head in shame. It is utter rubbish. For the record I am grandson of a 6th Bn RSF James Maxwell and I value my Scottish heritage but I value the truth more.. This is not an English rant. Well, they did say "provocative"! H.C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hastings Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 Bought it for a course I was on a couple of years back. From what I used of it, all put together would not fill two of his pages. Stevenson's '1914-18' and Sheffield's 'Forgotten Victory' proved much more invaluable in my humble opinion. As Martin says, truth is more important ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 Heavy going- but does come up with a veritable cartrload of different slants towards the war, You may agree: or you may disagree - he's writing to make money - not to prove his stature as a serious WW1 historian. Its a CV thing - not a vocation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil andrade Posted 8 January , 2013 Share Posted 8 January , 2013 It's certainly a book that I'm pleased to possess ; it's provocative and interesting, and if you like to countenance that approach to history, you will enjoy it. Martin's exposed a major flaw : for a man who prides himself on statistical analysis, and who relies heavily on tabulations of figures to demonstrate his arguments, Ferguson has made a sensational error in his exaggerated claim for Scottish death rates. Phil (PJA) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 9 January , 2013 Share Posted 9 January , 2013 It's certainly a book that I'm pleased to possess ; it's provocative and interesting, and if you like to countenance that approach to history, you will enjoy it. Martin's exposed a major flaw : for a man who prides himself on statistical analysis, and who relies heavily on tabulations of figures to demonstrate his arguments, Ferguson has made a sensational error in his exaggerated claim for Scottish death rates. Phil (PJA) That may be something to do with his sources. Maybe he will bring out a "revised" version. When I read it some time ago I was in no position to refute his assertions. I just didn't like the book. Had the same problem with his "War of the World". Got them both out today and thought I might have another go at them but changed my mind and put them back! It is kind of nice if you at least "sort of" like what you are reading, content authenticity notwithstanding. Hazel C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose of picardy Posted 9 January , 2013 Share Posted 9 January , 2013 I found it heavy, as well and I was looking forward to it. I bought it soon after it was published. It may say something about me that I liked Gordon Corrigan much more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted 9 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2013 Interesting comments. I'll let you know what I think in due course. Old Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 9 January , 2013 Share Posted 9 January , 2013 My friend the late Paddy Griffith always fulminated that Fergusson had quoted his 'learning curve' theory in 'Pity of War' but managed to misunderstand it completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 9 January , 2013 Share Posted 9 January , 2013 I'm pleased to discover that I'm not the only person who found the book very heavy going. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Riley Posted 10 January , 2013 Share Posted 10 January , 2013 From the horse's mouth c 2000 (Warning: link takes you to a 10 minute film on a well-known video site) A slight touch of the (present) Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer here, in my opinion (not a political comment) Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhurst Posted 14 January , 2013 Share Posted 14 January , 2013 Perhaps Forum readers should confine themselves to Niall Ferguson's other books. "The Ascent of Money" is the best book about the history of the financial system and what went wrong with it a few years ago that they're ever likely to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 14 January , 2013 Share Posted 14 January , 2013 From the horse's mouth c 2000 (Warning: link takes you to a 10 minute film on a well-known video site) A slight touch of the (present) Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer here, in my opinion (not a political comment) Ian Well, closer to half an hour,and while he did answer Gregg's questions it seems he has been reading different sources from the rest of us and sounds very plausible to the uninitiated. Gregg merely gave him a platform to promote his books and was not the best person to do the interview. Now a debate between Ferguson and Strachan or Sheffield might have been a bit more interesting. Now I'm off to bed perchance to not dream about Ferguson's assertions. Hazel C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan D'Hooghe Posted 14 January , 2013 Share Posted 14 January , 2013 By chance I just finished Ferguson's book two nights ago. It is heavy going and you need to read it in chunks. With regard to statistics - we all know the old saying! By all means double check and cross reference with other sources but I think it is a valuable book to dip in and out of as a reference book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 14 January , 2013 Share Posted 14 January , 2013 By chance I just finished Ferguson's book two nights ago. It is heavy going and you need to read it in chunks. With regard to statistics - we all know the old saying! By all means double check and cross reference with other sources but I think it is a valuable book to dip in and out of as a reference book. He is obviously a very bright guy and certainly articulate. Not having really finished either of his books properly maybe i should mind my own business, but his whole tone bothers me. Even In the interview with Gregg, he manages to make the British entry into the war look like a decision made by a bunch of "eejits" over a glass of brandy and a cigar. Hazel C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_Fielding Posted 14 January , 2013 Share Posted 14 January , 2013 His book of counterfactuals 'Virtual History' is quite interesting, but has an eye on the headlines too - the chapter describing a W W 1 without British entry supports some of the viewpoints described above - I have to say I did find the idea that the danger to the markets in 1914 prevents any idea that the war was engineered by big business quite persuasive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 14 January , 2013 Share Posted 14 January , 2013 Perhaps Forum readers should confine themselves to Niall Ferguson's other books. "The Ascent of Money" is the best book about the history of the financial system and what went wrong with it a few years ago that they're ever likely to read. He did a T.V. series over here which was based on that book and I agree it was very interesting. H.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Riley Posted 15 January , 2013 Share Posted 15 January , 2013 Now I'm off to bed perchance to not dream about Ferguson's assertions. Hazel C That made me laugh aloud! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth505 Posted 26 January , 2013 Share Posted 26 January , 2013 He calls himself an economic historian. I must confess that after reading this I agreed that Germany won. But that's not correct is is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 26 January , 2013 Share Posted 26 January , 2013 My friend the late Paddy Griffith always fulminated that Fergusson had quoted his 'learning curve' theory in 'Pity of War' but managed to misunderstand it completely. Please, this person is not FerguSSon but Ferguson. By chance I just finished Ferguson's book two nights ago. It is heavy going and you need to read it in chunks. With regard to statistics - we all know the old saying! By all means double check and cross reference with other sources but I think it is a valuable book to dip in and out of as a reference book. How can you use it as a reference book when his stats are all wrong? I also do not rate him or his inflated ego highly. Trevor Royale in his" Flowers of the Forest" was more statistically correct but even he says there are areas of grey in the records which can't be sorted now. Aye Malcolm (Fergusson) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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