How Chance and Stupidity Have Changed History: The Hinge Factor

Great insightful vignettes.

Was it two sentences spoken by Gunther Schabowski that brought down the Berlin Wall?Was the outcome of the Battle of Waterloo determined by a lack of nails?Was it because of three lost, then found, cigars that the outcome of the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) was altered?Was Hitler’s super battleship, the Bismarck, disabled by a single torpedo dropped by a small plane?Erik Durschmied addresses these and other interesting possibilities. Durschmied analyzes selected historical events (mostly battles) and suggests that their outcomes were significantly affected by chance occurrences or, in other cases, by arrogance, spite, a careless decision, ignorance, or a leader’s refusal to consider alternatives.The book is a good reminder to practice humility, to consider alternative ideas, and to recognize the unpredictability of events and circumstances.

Really good read: each historical event is well explained and developed from the perspective of someone witnessing the events. The stories (historical events) are narrated in such a way that they grip you and get you into the events.I highly recommend this book, even if you are not a history buff, if nothing else for the true human drama it describes.

I was impressed. A lot of research went into the writing of this book. An interesting way to present the history of wars. The maps are helpful.