"To compensate a little for the treachery and weakness of my memory, so extreme that it has happened to me more than once to pick up again, as recent and unknown to me, books which I had read carefully a few years before . . . I have adopted the habit for some time now of adding at the end of each book . . . the time I finished reading it and the judgment I have derived of it as a whole, so that this may represent to me at least the sense and general idea I had conceived of the author in reading it." (Montaigne, Book II, Essay 10 (publ. 1580))

Monday, October 30, 2017

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, 2015)

(317 pp)

Book club selection (via POC; session held 29 October 2017).

While traveling with D'backs, POC had gone with a group to visit a Navy SEALs post in San Diego; they recommended this book.  The ex-SEAL authors run a consulting business - they try to translate SEALs training/methods to business clients.  That's what the book is about.

The consulting business stuff was so-so - while the case studies rang true, the too-tidy application of very general principles did not.  (But I'm not a fan of business books in general - typically an individual or an entity experiences some success, then looks back and tries to guesstimate what made the difference; then to monetize the advice.  Not a winning formula.)

The book's value to me was glimpsing a world that is so incredibly different from the lives most of us lead.  Setting aside the politics ("why are we sending soldiers to these countries") - the guys that go execute these misbegotten missions are exposed to dangers I cannot imagine. 

Some of it reminds of what one reads about training of elite athletes - but then you realize the SEALs-types execute their tasks in the face of live ammo sent their direction by entirely unfriendly folks - amazing. 

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Unshackling America - How the War of 1812 Truly Ended the American Revolution (Willard Sterne Randall, 2017)

406 pp

Well reviewed; overlapping time periods from a different perspective, so seemed like a good follow-on to this biography of Napoleon and Uglow's study of then-conditions in England.  And it was.  Plus I didn't know much of anything about the War of 1812.  Recommended.

A useful idea: looking at the War of 1812 as a continuation of events commencing in the 1760s and continuing through 1814.  Even though the Revolutionary War had ended in Britain withdrawing, Britain's view of the colonies hadn't changed dramatically.

The pressures of the Napoleonic wars, the Continental System, the British blockades, the importance of navies - all fed into the War of 1812.  Economic pressure as trade is disrupted, with threats of worse.  Impressment remained a huge issue - British soldiers want to escape to American employment; Brit press gangs are so aggressive per Uglow's discussion; Britain needed bodies, and often had a reasonable position since the line between British subject and British-subject-turned-American-citizen was highly fluid.

U.S. not united in war aims; Senate approval is only 19-13.  Deep resentment in northern and eastern states.  "Tories" who had relocated to Canada would have welcomed British success.

Indians allied to British; turns out badly for them.

U.S. seemed in a strong position initially what with Britain preoccupied with Napoleon, and the U.S. far away.  But U.S. forces severely disorganized and its leaders incompetent, in part a result of Jefferson's cutbacks.  U.S. makes no progress in first couple years; burns through available cash; then Napoleon surrenders in 1814 and additional British ships and soldiers start showing up in force.  Many are veterans of the Peninsula campaign - things looking very bad for U.S.

Many interesting elements to the war, including battles on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.  Fort McHenry and the Star-Spangled Banner - actually a compelling story even if the anthem is over-used (and perhaps not the greatest anthem).

Book of course isn't directly about the Revolutionary War, but offered an entirely useful discussion of the lead-up to the Declaration of Independence - some of the taxes, tariffs, miscalculations.

Interesting discussions around Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison; initial divisions into political parties - with the basic fault line so similar to today's.  Truculence in politics is normal!  Adams as effective ambassador to the court of Tsar Alexander, which relationship Britain was required to take into account.

Brits burn down much of DC in 1814 (evoking negative response even in London) - somehow this finally shocked the U.S. into focused action.  Better training and equipment, better morale.  Brits consider sending over Wellington, but things not going so well at Congress of Vienna and France is restive.

So Brits decide to cut a deal for peace - even if U.S. in a weak position - Treaty of Ghent ends up moving the ball pretty much not a whit from where the combatants started.  But a useful discussion of how all this did push along the process of making the U.S. into a more coherent nation.

Also connected to recent reading - John Jacob Astor and Astoria - including the stories of conflicts with the British in the town's early days, as recounted in this book.