LtTora

Very Good if a little biased

Reviewed: 11-18-24

Over all I think that Mr. Hoffer makes some very valid points and is very informative in presenting his own theory (he admits his book is theoretical) in a very compelling manner. As someone who has been a historian for almost 20 years I can safely say that a good number of his conclusions are rather accurate.

However, I do not approve or appreciate his twisting the words of Christ to make him sound just as Pro Violence and destructive as Lenin or Marx were. It is clear from his tone that he has a certain distain for both religon and for the Political left. However he mostly stays focused on the causes of mass movements and the types of people who often gravitate towards them.

While I do not agree with all his conclusions I do give him credit for presenting an excellent (if theoretical) explenation for why movements start and who the types of people are who end to join them.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

An exhaustive history of WW1

Reviewed: 11-07-24

It is the most exhaustive history of WW1 I have yet listened to.

This is not a highly detailed record of battles, movements or tactics, it is instead a very broad look at how various people, nations and beliefs were shaped and effected in the lead up to, during and after the war.

If you want a better understanding of how people, nations and beliefs were effected and what the factors were that impacted the war itself then I think this is worth a listen.

If you are looking for a deep look at military history, doctrine, tactics and a scathing critism of Generals and politicians? You won't find it here.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Interesting but also tedious and a bit grating.

Reviewed: 10-11-24

Overall it's a fascinating listen, it's the life of Henry in his own words.

This is good and bad, good because it gives an intimate look at the inner most thoughts of King Henry, bad because one has to realize that Henry was a pathological liar who fully believed his own fiction.

He was incapable of taking responsibility for his own often poor decisions and always saw himself as some misunderstood victim, which I admit in some ways he was, but in many cases he was the victimizer.

As such I suggest you take it all with a tablespoon of salt.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Reviewed: 03-06-24

The western world owes these people an apology, especially the American left for supporting and ignoring the horrible crimes committed in the name of Marxism and equality.

The Story of this now defunct country is not as some would like to claim, a story about racism and colonialism, but a story about people some good some bad and some quite mad.

While I do not doubt that there were terrible people on both sides there are also brave, honest and genuine people as well.

The horrible things done during the war and after clearly show the depth of festering hatred and insatiable lust for power that existed in the hearts of those who claimed to be fighting for the poor and oppressed.

But arguably the most heinous acts were committed not in Africa but in Britain, the United States and many others in turning a blind eye to and enabling the mass murder and torture of those the new government claimed to be protecting.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A grotesque human tragedy

Reviewed: 12-06-23

Murder, rape, torture and nearly all of it done by the so called "opressed". While I do not agree with the acting government of the times attitude towards the African population, nothing excuses the blatant disregard the western world showed and its willingness to put plotitical expedience ahead of basic human dignity and the right of all people to life. White and black people were murdered by a evil political theory and the western powers desire to curry favor with certain people who didn't give a rip about the people of this country.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Tedius and Bloated

Reviewed: 05-30-22

This has to be the most painful book I have ever listened to, all you really need to know about it is that the author firmly believes that war is a means to political ends, he states what he feels should be the only approved and recognized type of warfare which is the Euro-Prussian model, and that a lot of the book is just him endlessly rambling.

I'm sorry I wasted a credit on this book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

Watch the Movie instead

Reviewed: 05-09-22

I have listened to and read a lot of military history books and compared to those this is pretty poorly done. It feels confused from start to finish, are you supposed to support he US or he Militia? Why would anyone care how and how often horny 18 and 19 years masturbated, so what if the guys in Delta shot at Pigeons, I don't care about the private thoughts of some random Skinny, just tell us what happened.

I think the author was trying to hard to remind us that both sides firmly believed that they were right and the other was wrong, but also to try and say "Look, Look, Somali's are people too". Only a woke idiot or a sociopath would fail to recognize that both sides were comprised of human beings, with lives and families, you don't need to shove it in our faces.

All in all this felt less like a in-depth account of events and more like a badly done radio drama.

I definitely regret wasting my money on this.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Average but still worth a read

Reviewed: 08-12-21

mostly focused on what life in the legion is really like, talks very little about the conflicts it was in or the men who joined.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Informative, but not totally reliable.

Reviewed: 01-28-21

When you say counter insurgency to the Army, the Army recoils like a Vegan from a hamburger.

Yet why is that? And what can be done to change it? The first answer is that "it's due as much to the culture of the Army as it is to chance. The second answer is that the Army has to have a desire and a willingness to change otherwise they will always lose"

The gist is that Malaysia was a lucky break for England and Vietnam was a highly controversial and complex problem for which the Army sought a simple and straightforward solution and failed.

That is the book in a nutshell.

The US and England have a long history of ridged thinking and the idea that England just spontaneously decided to adapt and learn is absurd. England got lucky, the Malaysians liked them and hated the Chinese, in Vietnam the locals disliked the US and feared the VC.

It's a great read if you're interested in why the US Army stubbornly refused to adapt to the war it was fighting and admits that there is no way to explain why some Armed forces adapt and others do not, but like so many other such books is too convinced that "if we had just done this or that, we would have won."

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Overall I think its good, but...

Reviewed: 10-07-20

Good information on the French Revolution I have found to be hard to find, this book is a good retelling of the events leading up to during and after the initial revolution. However, take it with a grain of salt, despite the lofty claims of Mr. Davidson, who I do not doubt worked hard and long on this book, he still shows the typical British Bias in taking cheap shots and the US Constitution and its founders, and blithely calls the Deceleration of Independence a deceleration of War against George the 3rd which it was not and goes on to insult it at every turn while showing deference to the French Constitution.

Every person is allowed their own opinion, all I ask is that they not go around touting that opinion as factual. Other than that I rather enjoyed listening to this book and learning more about this often controversial revolution, I just feel that it hurts an authors credibility to be passing off his own personal bias as factual about the US, I get it, you got your arses kicked and your still embarrassed about it, but get the hell over it already!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

20 people found this helpful