Peter Chapman: Jungle Capitalists: A Story of Globalisation, Greed and Revolution
Charts the economic rise and pervasive political influence of the first globalised company - the US United Fruit Company, precursor for the activities of today's multinationals. By building railways and the acquisition of land rights from central American states it created monopoly banana production and determined the politics of the region. By the 1930's the company had created a "vast feudal state" of plantations, worker settlements and client governments scattered across central America. The simple Banana may have been the product, but to ensure its continued profitability (ie keeping production costs low and free from native involvement) United Fruit was not averse to heavy involvement in agressive politics. Support for coups was common, most clearly seen in the 1929 Santa Marta massacre of 1000+ demonstrators in Colombia and the Guatamalan coup of 1954. But Guatamala backfired - it frightened the US government into starting anti trust procedures that would see United Fruit shrink into "Chiquita" in the 1980's; Ernesto Guevara witnessed the coup and it helped convince him of the need to use force to gain national freedom; the US press, heavily manipulated by United Fruit decided to pursue more personally investigative styles in future (Herbert Matthews went off in search of Castro on a personal quest for "truth" which was to give such positive press for Castro in the US). However the author warns for today: Chiquita has admitted to paying nearly $2 million to right-wing death squads in Colombia and Chapman cites the example of Costa Rica, (the only central American country to escape United Fruit and create a more welfare-orientated state) where modern multinationals working within a free-market economy are causing severe problems of social inequality. This book is timely and testimony to the survival of United Fruit and how well it has continued to cover its tracks outside latin America. May '08 (****)
Giles MacDonogh: After the Reich
There is a fuller review as a post ("After the Reich") Any modern writer of post war Germany who mentions the names of Hajo Holborn and Michael Balfour in the first few pages clearly has done their reading. This book fills in the gap left in many English language histories of postwar central Europe: from the actual end of war and its immediate impact to the outbreak of the Cold War. Covering not just the zones of Germany, but also Austria and the events of German speaking Europe elsewhere - the German Reich at its largest.Since the Wende, this has been a topic occupying the history shelves of most German bookshops. MacDonogh has done English readers a service with this account. The underlying sentiment is that this book records the consequences of the far greater evil perpetrated on others by the Germans - a feeling that many of those recorded reflect, despite their misery. It is not surprising that with the opening of the east Germans have wished to document the period, nor is it surprising that Anglo-saxon writers have shunned it for so long. May '06
(*****)
Robert Carver: Paradise with Serpents
Carver's travel tales of Paraguay in 2001-2 see him comparing it with amongst others, the Congo, Albania, and the one I like best: pre partition 18th century Poland.... In places amusing, in others sadly pathetic this is a good companion to John Gimlettes Inflatable Pig (which has a more historical focus and which Carver is gracious enough to praise). Carver is well read and this gives a depth to his stories as well as allowing him to put modern Paraguay in a context with its neighbours. Starting off an enthusiastic investigative tourist, Carver ends desperate to leave and running for a seat on one of the few planes out of Paraguay for São Paulo. It may be good armchair adventure but I am not sure if this will encourage less intrepid tourists to travel far beyond Ciudad del Este though! April '08 (***)
Charles McKean: Battle for the North: The Tay and Forth Bridges and the 19th-Century Railway Wars
Outlines the late 19th century railway rivalry between the Caledonian and North British railway companies that produced the two famous rail bridges over the Tay and Forth. Well detailed but perhaps too focussed on the minutiae of the boardroom disputes that lay behind the first Tay Bridge. Conversely it does Bouch a service in highlighting the role of fatigue in bringing down his Tay Bridge. Probably best read by someone with more than a nodding acquaintance to Jute era Dundee. Knowing Dundee I found this of interest, but the lay reader might not. A health warning is perhaps needed on the jacket. One last point. Good to see so many illustrations, but the maps are terrible. March '08 (**)
Max Hastings: Nemesis (US title:Retribution): The Battle for Japan, 1944-45
Another massive tome, this time on the final 18 months of the Pacific War. An overall synthesis, easily laid out with different theatres given seperate chapters. I found the most useful sections to be on those areas of conflict often less publicised in the west (& Europe. eg Burma, Australia, China, the sub war) By contrast, Macarthurs travails through the Philippines are less compulsive (as the man himself appears to have been). Some key points emerge: the (very) variable quality of US military commanders (FDR seems to have given them an almost free hand), the Japanese disinterest in technology (!!) and the early (quite considerable) failings of the B29. March '08 (****)
Ian W. Toll: Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy
A huge tome that tells the story of the origins of the US Navy (It started with just 6 frigates...) in the late 18th/early 19th century. Written by a journalist rather than a historian so is not quite a US N.A.M. Rodgers but is well written and reads easily. Still it is perhaps one for the ship anorak rather than the general reader. Interesting to see the early potential wealth of the newly independent US: able to build a fleet and a state capital at the same time! Equally valuable are the links drawn at the end that connect this early growth directly to the Monroe doctrine and Thedore Roosevelts Great White fleet. Feb '07 (***)
Ben Elton: Blind Faith
Set in a flooded, overcrowded and globally warmed future this is a cutting, clever, satire on present face-booked, celeb and fame obsessed society from the writer of Black Adder. I do not usually include Eltons on this list, (with one exception) but this one is a worthwhile addition. A quick read and amusing but thought provoking. In addition to Elton's usually socially perceptive concepts, this one has the added advantage of having a worthwhile ending and less of the gratuitous sex, rock 'n roll..... Feb '08 (****)
Jessica Warner: Craze: Gin and Debauchery in an Age of Reason
Warner writes about the English (London?) gin "epidemic" of the early 18th century. As a piece of social history it is of value, well supported and argued (perhaps too drily though - this has the air of an academic work tweaked to do a Sobel "Longtitude" for a mass market). What is most surprising though is the way the argument shows that the issue was one focussed on women, and that it was the poorest women who emerge as the biggest victims economically as well as socially from the expansion of gin drinking as well as from its ever tighter control (they did most of the streetside selling). The big distillers/publicans were men.... they continued to survive, and were not locked up to the same extent. Dec '07 (**)
Frederick Taylor: The Berlin Wall: A World Divided, 1961-1989
An interesting narrative of the history of the Berlin Wall by the autthor of Dresden. Like that earlier work much attention is given to context (although the potted history of the pre 1961 Cold War period is perhaps too potted). The Wall remains the focus, especially in the 1960's highlighting as it does the hypocrisy and lack of will of the western powers and the federal republic to support their rhetoric with action towards the east (which was probably the wise course...) But the most satisfactory chapter is perhaps the final one with insights and perceptions available only to a writer with a genuine affection and knowledge of the east gained through personal association. Useful also to anyone seeking an accessible, and general history of the GDR. One final point - in my (hardback) edition there are a surprising number of typos, signs perhaps of too swift editing. But why? Dec '07 (***)
Mike Dash: Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny
This is the story of the 1629 Batavia mutiny of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The (eventually quite horrific) story of shipwreck off modern Australia, mutiny, then "Lord of the Flies" type conflict between the shipwrecked survivors is well told, and equally provides a clear general insight into the workings of the VOC and the early routes to the east. The final section interestingly brings the story up to the present (despite a poor psycho-babble conclusion on the main character). There are a few caveats however: initially the book digresses too much from the story to talk of 17th century ships and trade in general. My edition had a third (over 100 pages) devoted to useful footnotes, but no numbering was given in the text - you had to look at the back in the "off chance" there may be a footnote and a statement was founded in history, not supposition..... Some illustrations would also be useful... Nov '07 (***)
Simon Sebag Montefiore: Young Stalin
This has to be read by anyone who seriously wants to understand what made Stalin tick. The account of his youth and formative years (up to Oct/Nov 1917) clearly indicates the impact of growing up in the wilds of (still lawless and gangster riddled) Georgia and the Caucasus. Sebag Montefiore's account does more though - it explains perhaps the ease with which the USSR slid into oligarchy and lawlessness in the 1990's - because of a general underlying tradition of violence, but also the dangers of faith schools and the risks of encarcerating enemies of the state in similar places. Stalin? More educated and culturally rounded than I had thought, but presents as not a pleasant character at all - easy to understand his purges and ruthlessness as later USSR leader. Equally repugnant seemed to be his inclination towards impregnating teenage girls at least half his age - one of whom was only 13, (he was in his 30's......) Very readable nonetheless. Oct '07 (****)
Paul Blustein: And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out): Wall Street, the IMF, and the Bankrupting of Argentina
A readable account of the 2001-2 Argentine economic crash and how it emerged out of the growth of the 1990's. And at the end, where does Blustein point the finger of blame? To be sure, slack Argentine policies throughout the period and the impetuosity finally of Cavallo (where was President de la Rua at the time?) carry much of the final responsibility for the eventual collapse. However he argues that the real culprits are the international bankers - too willing to lend, to convince the Argentine government to issue more & more bonds and to push rates of repayment ever higher. The IMF? Blustein sees them as being blinded by what he calls "poster-child syndrome" ie unwilling to be tough & give unwelcome advice and support (especially post 1998) other then more loans, when "tough love" rather than more debts was needed by the country it had over-promoted as the free market success of the 1990's. Sept '07 (***)
Edward Pearce: The Great Man: Sir Robert Walpole: Scoundrel, Genius and Britain's First Prime Minister
Well reviewed tome on the 18th century prime minister. However, despite that I found the style tedious, not to say affected, with its large number of subordinate clauses (very Germanic - perhaps this is an attempt to produce a hanoverian style???). Nor does the amount of snide sniping at other historians help as this undermines the regard for the new material and ideas provided by Pearce. A shame as this (not necessarily likeable) character deserves a better presented modern treatment. Disappointing. Sept '07 (**)
Giles Tremlett: Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Secret Past
Written by The Guardians Spain reporter this is a guide to help the anglo-saxon understand modern Spain by attempting to explain the history - ancient & modern - that is its foundation. Tremlett, as a long term resident writes with insight and real understanding - and at length. His best chapters are the early ones when he explains the secretos a voces originating from the Franco era and the "amnistía and amnesia" that followed it. He rationalises the dichotomy whereby Spains prosecutors are the most fervent in chasing up the perpetrators of Latin Americas military regimes whilst (until recently at least) ignoring the events of their own right wing period. Unfortunately the book will be too wordy to be read by most anglosajóns on the costas - tighter editing might have broadened its appeal - and value. (Sept '07) (***)
Ben Macintyre: Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
A quick holiday read but no less enjoyable for that. Macintyres account of the double agent Eddie Chapman is told well and in a sympathetic way - this despite the many initially questionable aspects of the man himself. Chapman, Agent Zigzag, a habitual criminal and serial womaniser/romancer became a spy for the German Abwehr then a double agent (of considerable value) for MI5. What is still unclear at the end is Chapman's motivation. Given the apparent complexities of his personality that may never be clear. As Le Carre is quoted in the blurb "meticulously researched, splendidly told and often very moving" especially in his loyalty to old friends. August '07 (***)
Thomas E. Ricks: Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
Written by a veteran war correspondent this is the most depressing piece of writing to show very clearly and exhaustively just how incompetent and unprepared the US govt and military was/is for the Iraq war. Ricks is very painstaking in his research and the real degree of the fiasco becomes clearer and clearer as each page of tight text unfolds. A couple of caveats: the book could have done with a little more editing as the catalogue of recorded failings grows & grows (If time is short the first 200 of 440 are the most telling). Equally it needs to be remembered it is a piece of journalism, not history (but will become a valuable historical document iteself for its interviews) and this comes through in places in style and presentation. Ultimately the question the reader is left with is how little grasp of affairs & ability the US Presidency had/has and how little (informed) leadership it provided - and how genuinely unpleasant and ill educated key advisers were. August '07
(****)
Adrian Tinniswood: The Verneys: A True Story of Love, War and Madness in Seventeenth-Century England
Based on the massive 17th century Verney correspondence collection this gives a unique insight into the trials & joys of a well to do English gentry family. Tinniswood's Verneys are presented in a very readable narrative - a historical soap - with well judged asides to provide context to the general reader (if a little irritating to a specialist). Three aspects are made especially clear: the constant presence of mortality; the impact of civil war at a family level; the significance of social networking. Equally the book traces a clear change in the pattern of political power: from court based patronage, to the political corruption of early party politics and the emergence of trade based influence. Grass roots history at its most enjoyable. Maybe there are enough later letters for an 18th century follow up? July '07 (***)
Jonathan Fenby: Alliance: The Inside Story of How Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill Won One War and Began Another
Meticulously detailed this looks exhaustively (at times perhaps too much so unless you are using this to research an essay!!) at the development of the WW2 alliance system. Several points emerge very clearly: that Teheran was probably the key meeting - Yalta was a case of formalising what had already been decided. Secondly, the emergence of Stalin as the main player with the support of FDR. Equally it is a surprise how many of the leading US & UK participants were in poor health, not just FDR but also many aides and military figures. As for Churchill he seemed unable to get Gallipoli out of his system, but was right in his postwar fears. For the publisher: why no maps? They would have been really helpful to envisage the logistics of the meetings. A false economy. June '07 (***)
Philip Roth: The Plot Against America: A Novel
An intriguing piece of counterfactual history - FDR loses the 1940 election to a right wing Lindbergh in league with Nazi Germany. Written in the first person from the viewpoint of a 10 year old boy this is perceptive and emotionally moving on a personal as well as social and political level as it charts the gradual decline of the US into antisemitic persecution. Yes, you can see how it might happen in a "civilised" society.... May '07 (****)
Sarah Helm: A Life in Secrets: Vera Atkins and the Missing Agents of WWII
This story of Vera Atkins, responsible for sending British female secret agents to Nazi France and her cathartic efforts to find out what happened to those who did not return is a compelling, well crafted read. The Atkins life is full of twists and page turning mysteries. However in the process Helm emphasizes the bravery of those sent to France and the amateur incompetence of those who sent them. Equally, the transparent nature of the books structure serves as an excellent example of how history is laboriously researched and worked upon using a variety of sources – in this case very much like a detective thriller. March ´07 (****)
Antonia Fraser: Love and Louis XIV
Fraser provides a feminine (as opposed to feminist) look at the reign of Louis XIV. Although it presents an interesting glimpse into the court life of the Sun King, it also reveals the dissolute and egocentric lifestyle of a royalty and nobility whose existence depended on the finances taken from the large tax base provided by a wealthy, absolutist state and from subjects they had little, or wished to have little in common with. Two points emerge ultimately: a better understanding of the future revolutionaries of 1789 and an intriguing glimpse of what might have been in England had such absolutism not been halted in 1642. Jan'07 (***)
Joseph Conrad: Heart of Darkness (Penguin Modern Classics)
The early 20th century novella stands up well with its account of Marlows journey in search of Kurtz. Its allusions to Stanley & the European exploitation of the Congo and its serving as the basis for Coppola's Apocolypse Now means there is plenty to think about. It is a long time since I have read an annotated Penguin classic of which this is an excellent example. Robert Hampson's Introduction and copious notes help greatly with understanding Conrad's nuances and probable intentions. Dec '06 (****)
John le Carre: The Mission Song
Latest novel stays in Africa like the Constant Gardener. This time the action centres on the Congo where le Carre weaves a plot involving western government subterfuge and mercenary activity. Not quite up to the standard of the Constant Gardener, but a thoughtful read putting the helplessness of Africans in the face of war & exploitation into sharp focus. this is another book I have read recently with references to Conrad's Heart of Darkness... maybe that should figure next. Dec '06 (***)
J.G. Ballard: Kingdom Come
An intriguing premise as always with Ballard - in this case his previous preoccupations with group psychology and behaviour focus this time on suburban shopping mall society. He creates a scenario plausible in contemporary England where motorways grid up at weekends as people go off to shop en masse in huge shopping centres. Unfortunately the plot is flawed by a rather confused portrayal of the central character. Worth a read, but not Ballard's best. Dec '06 (**)
William Golding: The Inheritors
This fifty year old follow-up to Lord of the Flies stands up well. Uses the clever device of being (largely) seen in the first person through the eyes of the slow, but well meaning neandertals as they make catastrophic first contact with our less personable and more agressive ancestors, homo sapiens. At times this methodology makes for a difficult read but the story of this first genocide as homo sapiens searched for expansion and power is just as true today as it was in the post Nazi world, unfortunately. Nov '06 (***)
David Sinclair: Sir Gregor Macgregor and the Land That Never Was
Story of a 19th century Scots fraudster, Gregor MacGregor and his scheme to make a fortune selling land in a non existent country in central America. The tale is an interesting one covering the MacGregors exploits in the Americas (where he fought alongside Miranda and Bolivar) and Europe as well as in Britain, but more judicious editing (especially of the independence campaigns MacGregor actually fought in) with a greater use of footnotes might make it both more useful to historians and efficient to read. Nov '06 (**)
Ronald Wright: A short history of progress
This is a concise primer for all who want to see just how fragile human life & society really is. Wright shows clearly just how brief our “civilised” existence has been and also how easily it could end. He does this by looking at key previous civilisations: Sumer, Rome, China, Mayan America and Easter Island. Clear, sobering lessons are drawn out for us to be learned if we are not to over-farm, pollute or destroy the present. He concludes with an Argentine saying: “Each night God cleans up the mess the Argentines make by day” but makes it clear that we are now at the point where God alone cannot clean up our mess. We can help ourselves, but only if we act now.
Excellent detailed footnotes develop the brevity of the presented arguments – and provide suggestions to a variety of further background reading. This should be a compulsory matriculation present for all school leavers…… Oct ´06
(*****)
Carlos Ruiz Zafon: The Shadow of the Wind
An enjoyable read. Has a touch of Susskind's Perfume about it as this neo-gothic story within a story unfolds in dark post civil war Barcelona. Ideally needs to be read fairly swiftly as the characters are numerous and the twists keep coming. The English translation is worth remarking upon – flowing and with a good turn of phrase (“the heavens were weeping” to describe rain at a funeral). I do not know if the translation is accurate, but it reads as if it were not one…. Oct '06 (***)
S D Levitt & S J Dubner: Freakonomics
This amusing & interesting read reminded me of the best of my Economics lessons so many years ago. We did little to no maths but much on the quirky reasoning behind many Economics theories and their outcomes. (our grades were not good, but they probably were the lessons I learned most from.) This book is full of these - it applies Economics reasoning to modern social issues. I liked the connection between the Ku Klux Klan's demise & Superman. Everyone who is not yet a parent and wants to be one later should read chapters 5 & 6 before they are. If you are already one it is too late to read them.... A little too US focussed perhaps and at times lends itself to speed reading (!) but a worthwhile read. Oct '06 (***)
Peter Nichols: Evolution's Captain
The story of Robert FitzRoy who took Darwin around the world. FitzRoy's life is shown as tragedy, from his early attempt to "civilise" the natives of Tierra del Fuega to his realisation that having facilitated Darwin produced the massive attack by Science on his own fundamentalist beliefs. Written not by a historian with an understanding of the sea but by a yachtsman with a sound grasp of the history this is a very readable account - although the paperback is much in need of a good map of Patagonia! Sept '06 (***)
Anonymous: A Woman in Berlin
This diary, written by a Berlin woman in her 30's during the fall of Berlin illustrates clearly and forcefully the real meaning of defeat. Interesting asides on the nature of the Russian conquerors: raised in a society where they received but could not choose they had little concept of "value", even of booty. Most of all it reveals the commonplace nature & acceptance of rape or of attaching oneself to an Ivan lover - for protection and survival. A very human diary of survival in year zero. Sept '06 (****)
Robert Harvey: The Liberators
Sympathetic & comprehensive narrative of the latin American Wars of Independence. Gave a new appreciation & respect for the social values of Bolivar and San Martin especially. Unfortunately, all were unappreciated in the ensuing states that they fought for - in particular by the criolla landowning families who undermined their reforms thus creating the years of chaos that followed - very much to the present. A worthy reference on the period but too heavy on military details for the general reader and limited on recent Spanish language scholarship. Aug '06 (***)
Tomás Eloy Martínez: The Tango Singer
A short but intriguing novel set in 2001 from Eloy Martínez, a writer whose work battles between history and literature. Whereas 'Santa Evita' (****) and The 'Perón Novel' (****) saw history dominant, here it is the literary side that provides an (ale-gorical?) framework for an almost mystical search through the horrors of Argentina's recent history. Best read if you have a knowledge of Buenos Aires and Borges - and a map handy!. July '06 (***)
Nigel Farndale: Haw-Haw : The Tragedy of William and Margaret Joyce
Tells the story of Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce), the wartime broadcaster from Germany, later hanged for treason in Britain. Presents Joyce as a tragic figure with strongly held (if seriously flawed) beliefs. I had not been aware of his (and for a while dominant) role in British interwar fascism, made clear in the book. Much writing is devoted to the time in wartime Berlin - and the experiences of their living as a couple in an alien environment with limited grasp of the language...... His postwar trial nonetheless is shown as a vengeful travesty of British justice - which Joyce accepts with grace (and perhaps a little enigmatic comfort from MI5..... - are the secret MI5 files on Joyce's possible work with them still closed?). June '06 (***)
N.A.M. Rodger: Safeguard of the Sea : A Naval History of Britain Vol 1 660-1649
Monumental (691 pages!!) first volume in the excellent Naval History of Britain. Likely to be used more as a reference than as a a book to read (unlike the very readable Vol II) this has much of interest and value. Debunks the rounded military leaderships of William I & Edward I. It shows very clearly the emergence of naval structure & power in Elizabethan times - and the origins of the English pirate stealing from the Spanish pirate.... More surprising perhaps is the real contribution Charles I's Ship money made to the Navy Royal. One quibble, despite claims to the contrary it is very anglocentric; Scottish marine developments are crucial but are generally en passant. May '06 (****)
Luis Sepulveda: The Name of a Bullfighter
Dark plot which ranges from the seedy Reeperbahn of Hamburg to Chile's Patagonia as cold warriors and retired guevarista leftists race to find a horde of gold hidden by SS refugees in south America..... Post modernist Boys Own stuff I'm afraid. April '06 (*)
Marina Lewycka: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian : A Novel
Plot outline suggests an interesting narrative, but does not live up to this promise. Limited character development and very UK focussed. April '06 (*)
The café has commented several times in past entrees about the role played by statues and monuments in describing the political mind of a nation. Nearly 20 years after the unification of Germany, a 33 tonne sculpture, focused on "the father of communism" is to be restored to its erstwhile place of prominence at Leipzig University. Known as the Karl Marx university in honour of statuesque philosopher until 1991, the statue was placed out of sight as a consequence of the different imperatives of the Wende. 
The Bejiing Olympics certainly had a spectacular and impressive opening ceremony. However it is perhaps nitpicking for (mainly western?) observers to comment on how the pageant focused on a very selective interpretation of China's past, missing out mention of the 20th century in general and Mao in particular. How many other countries would draw attention to periods of internal strife in such an event. London 2012 is happening on the back of an (now leaking!) economic surge resulting from the Thatcher reforms of the 1980's yet is unlikely to make the Thatcher years a key element of its opening event. 
Following Nasa's space posting, two items from different ends of the political spectrum go online this week, both of interest to historians of the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century.
