Book Description
No ruler in modern times reigned in full sovereignty for as long as Francis Joseph, emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, and Slavonia. Titular master of central Europe from 1848 until 1916, he was center stage in Europe throughout the dramatic era in which Italy and Germany emerged as united nation states. His personal decisions were vital both to the outcome of the Crimean War and to the onset of World War I, sixty years later. Far more than a biography of a great ruler, Twilight of the Habsburgs is a social, cultural, political, and military history of Europe from the end of the Napoleonic era to the assassination at Sarajevo. "Just the right balance between the story of Francis Joseph's life and the history of his times." -- The New York Times Book Review; "Excellent and absorbing . . . A compelling read." -- Evening Standard (London).
Customer Reviews:
Great Reference.......2007-03-26
Not just a well written history, it truely the story of a very large and powerful family.
A tale of a tragic but benevolent ruler........2006-11-22
Prior to reading this book, my knowledge of Emperor Franz Josef was mostly limited to his involvement in World War I: a staunch leader committed to preserving the Old Order whose government ultimately turned the Sarejevo crisis into an international one.
Palmer's book "The Twilight of the Habsburgs: The Life and Times of Emperor Franz Josef" changed my perspective on the Austrian monarch not by painting him as a exceptional or clever leader, which he wasn't; but simply by portraying Franz Josef as a dutiful leader whose reign and personal life was frequently marred by tragedy. Indeed, Franz Josef was keen on his empire's defeat at war at the hands of the French, Italians, and Prussians. As a result, it seems likely he never would have dragged Austria-Hungary into the Great War if it were not for the influence wielded by various ministers on the then-84 year-old emperor. Throughout his life, he was abandoned by a vacationing wife whose life was cut short by an Italian anarchists, his son committed suicide in a mysterious pact, his brother was executed after a failed bid to rule Mexico, and his nephew's assassination in Sarejevo was the saprk that ignited World War I. Indeed, the reader will find out that Franz Josef's personal life was far from a royal fairytale.
Besides the enormous tragedies experienced by Emperor Franz Josef, the changing times surrounding the Emperor's long reign (1848-1916) are nothing short of an exciting setting that may be difficult for us to fathom in the 21st century. At the dawn of Franz Josef's reign, the cavalryman was still prominent on the battlefield, Germany and Italy were mostly collections of squabbling states on his northern and southern border, and the flight of man was limited to a pipe dream. However, by the end of his career, Franz Josef lived in a world where war took to the air and a unified Germany was one of the premeir powers in the world.
The book's only flaw is perhaps more of an annoyance than a serious misgiving: Palmer translates the names of his German subjects to English, hence the reader will constantly see "Francis Joseph" instead of "Franz Josef." Perhaps he did this to appeal to wider audience, but I do beleive that anyone willing to pick up a book on an Austrian emperor is knowledgeable enough to contemplate German names.
Overall, this is an excellent book for those interested in European monarchs, the 1850-1918 time period, or a good biography.
Gently Revisionist.......2004-06-05
Twilight of the Habsburgs is a nice biography of the Emperor Francis Joseph and his times. Francis Joseph ruled the Hapsburg lands from 1848 to 1916. He is usually seen as an obtuse, stubborn old autocrat who refused to change with the times and thus doomed his empire to collapse. Alan Palmer takes a somewhat revisionist view of the Emperor, pointing out that he had a far better mind than he is normally credited with (although handicapped by a very poor education) and was willing to make reforms when necessary (of course he rarely saw the necessity on his own). Even when he did see the need to change, he often waited until it was too late. For example, in mid 1916 he talked of pulling his country out of World War I in the spring of 1917. What if he had gone ahead and made peace in the summer of 1916? Maybe a shorter war, no Russian Revolution, no American intervention, the mind reels with the implications! But unfortunately he put that decision off and died before he could implement it.
The strongest portions of this book deal with Francis Joseph's personal life. I felt sorry for the poor man, dealing in turn with a bossy mother, a flighty wife he loved dearly, a son who wasted his great abilities and committed suicide, and a host of nephews and cousins who couldn't behave themselves and certainly didn't give him the support he needed. His life was full of losses, a brother executed in Mexico, his wife assassinated, his son a suicide, and finally his nephew and heir's murder bringing on a World War. At least he had one friend, an actress he visited for years in a platonic relationship. Its nice to think of him laughing with her over coffee, it must have been the only chance he had to relax!
Francis Joseph was not a brilliant or especially bright, but he did his duty as he saw it and stuck to it right to the end. It is this that makes him admirable today.
Great book!.......2004-01-19
This book is a splendid description of Franz Josefs life. Every ascpect is covered good, and you realy feel that you get a picture of the man and the emperor. I strongly recommend it.
Good book with a major distraction.......2002-04-25
The book is full of information about a very interesting time in history. I didn't mind the jumping around that another reviewer mentioned, but I am COMPLETELY distracted by the author's need to change the names. If you can't handle "Franz Joseph," you should try a little harder. Who is Archduke John? We are lucky he didn't change "Maria Anna" to Maryanne. Dear Author, please give your readers some credit.
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Twilight of the Habsburgs: Life and Times of Emperor Francis Joseph (Phoenix Giants S.)
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld & Nicholson history
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1857998693 |
Customer Reviews:
History re-written.......2005-04-28
I liked the detail. However, it would seem that the author has not sought out sufficient sources and readily and far too fully accepts the Che's accounts of the actions. Thus, the Che's machinations and betrayals of fellow rebels are ignored. Minor rebel figures such as Rene Cuervo and the Mexican are not given credit, the contributions of escopeteros and the urban fighters are not really acknowledged. Contributions of major figures such as Huber Matos are apparently minimized. The Che's withdrawal and abandonment to his death of René Ramos Latour is omitted. The effect of communist betrayal on non communist members of M-26-7 and other anti-Batista organizations are not taken into account. It would have been a far more interesting, but less flattering book if the Che's devious and ruthless plots to reach power and remove rivals were clearly pointed out.
An Honest Military Assessment.......2003-10-24
A historical figure like Che Guevara can easily become enshrouded in myth and legend. Much of the material written on him focuses on Che the revolutionary or Che the theorist, but they miss the real point. Guevara was first and foremost a soldier and tactician, and that is the emphasis of Paul J. Dosal's level-headed assessment of Guevara as a military figure.
Dosal takes a hard, honest look at Guevara's contributions to history, eschewing image for substance. When one probes beyond Guevara's vitriolic words against capitalism and imperialism, we find a man impatient with debate and theory, and anxious for decisive action and violence. Instead of a live-saving man trained in medicine, Guevara cast himself as a dealer of death in combat.
The Cuban Revolution is examined, from the first disastrous engagement after landing to the deluge of victories over Batista's tottering regime. Dosal supplies helpful and detailed maps of specific engagements and campaigns (some as small as squad-level) to illustrate the action for his readers. I found the maps to be a welcome addition that allowed me to visualize the engagements as they happened. They also made other engagements easier to imagine, because Che's ambushes usually followed a fairly set pattern.
It is refreshing to read a book that is so solidly concerned with Guevara's actions. While Dosal dwells on the development of Guevara's revolutionary philosophy, he also illuminates his record as a commander. Guevara was a superior tactician among his comrades in the Cuban revolution, but he had no subtlety or finesse in the political arena. This shortcoming steadily hindered his efforts after the victory over Batista: first by angering the USSR and China while ostensibly seeking their support for Third World revolution, and second by alienating any Bolivian allies during his ill-fated campaign there.
Che's modest theoretical efforts are reviewed in detail as well, and Dosal makes no effort to portray these contributions as especially original. Instead he points out that Mao Tse-Tung's writings, as well as those of Lawrence of Arabia, originally covered the field of Guerilla Warfare in more detail. Dosal also highlights how the conditions of the Cuban Revolution were unique. Batista's army was well equipped with weapons, but not with the will to fight. Guevara wrongly assumed that every other undeveloped capitalist/authoritarian regime would crumble just as easily. In fact, many of Guevara's theories are based upon this mistaken belief, and explain his awful performance in Bolivia.
The focus is kept tight throughout, and Dosal's findings are not always flattering. Fidel's miscalculations, especially at the beginning of the campaign, are highlighted. Guevara's bravery and natural tactical abilities in conventional and guerilla warfare are never questioned. But his impulsive, arrogant, impatient, and fatalistic traits come to the fore after the Cuban victory. Dosal covers his ineffectual fiasco in Congo. While the results were not entirely his fault, his naïve belief that African nationalists would embrace an Argentine as their leader was the root of his failure there. Dosal reveals how Guevara persisted long after failure seemed certain, and how it almost cost him his life when he refused to leave.
Special attention is paid to the disastrous Bolivian campaign. Many historians hint that Castro had a hand in Guevara's death, but Dosal effectively argues against the notion. Che's own shortcomings as a politician and planner proved to be the root of his failure and death. His tryst with a possible double agent, lack of planning for an urban support network, and insulting behavior toward Bolivian communist leaders all contributed to Guevara's doom. Guevara also violated most of the principles he articulated in his writings. Dosal's honesty about Guevara's character flaws ultimately make Che a more human, compassionate, and tragic figure than a lionizing biography would have.
Overall, Dosal's work rounded out my already considerable knowledge of this remarkable man. It penetrated through the myths to the man and his actions. I was impressed by the detail of the book. If I could name any fault, it is that events at the end of the Cuban campaign seemed to pass too quickly, without the detailed treatment of other battles. But in Dosal's defense, events did unfold in a virtual landslide pace, and the final military collapse of Batista's regime took little more than a month. Commandante Che is a must-read for anyone interested in Che Guevara as a soldier, tactician, and human, with as many flaws as dreams.
An Honest Military Assessment.......2003-10-24
A historical figure like Che Guevara can easily become enshrouded in myth and legend. Much of the material written on him focuses on Che the revolutionary or Che the theorist, but they miss the real point. Guevara was first and foremost a soldier and tactician, and that is the emphasis of Paul J. Dosal's level-headed assessment of Guevara as a military figure.
Dosal takes a hard, honest look at Guevara's contributions to history, eschewing image for substance. When one probes beyond Guevara's vitriolic words against capitalism and imperialism, we find a man impatient with debate and theory, and anxious for decisive action and violence. Instead of a live-saving man trained in medicine, Guevara cast himself as a dealer of death in combat.
The Cuban Revolution is examined, from the first disastrous engagement after landing to the deluge of victories over Batista's tottering regime. Dosal supplies helpful and detailed maps of specific engagements and campaigns (some as small as squad-level) to illustrate the action for his readers. I found the maps to be a welcome addition that allowed me to visualize the engagements as they happened. They also made other engagements easier to imagine, because Che's ambushes usually followed a fairly set pattern.
It is refreshing to read a book that is so solidly concerned with Guevara's actions. While Dosal dwells on the development of Guevara's revolutionary philosophy, he also illuminates his record as a commander. Guevara was a superior tactician among his comrades in the Cuban revolution, but he had no subtlety or finesse in the political arena. This shortcoming steadily hindered his efforts after the victory over Batista: first by angering the USSR and China while ostensibly seeking their support for Third World revolution, and second by alienating any Bolivian allies during his ill-fated campaign there.
Che's modest theoretical efforts are reviewed in detail as well, and Dosal makes no effort to portray these contributions as especially original. Instead he points out that Mao Tse-Tung's writings, as well as those of Lawrence of Arabia, originally covered the field of Guerilla Warfare in more detail. Dosal also highlights how the conditions of the Cuban Revolution were unique. Batista's army was well equipped with weapons, but not with the will to fight. Guevara wrongly assumed that every other undeveloped capitalist/authoritarian regime would crumble just as easily. In fact, many of Guevara's theories are based upon this mistaken belief, and explain his awful performance in Bolivia.
The focus is kept tight throughout, and Dosal's findings are not always flattering. Fidel's miscalculations, especially at the beginning of the campaign, are highlighted. Guevara's bravery and natural tactical abilities in conventional and guerilla warfare are never questioned. But his impulsive, arrogant, impatient, and fatalistic traits come to the fore after the Cuban victory. Dosal covers his ineffectual fiasco in Congo. While the results were not entirely his fault, his naïve belief that African nationalists would embrace an Argentine as their leader was the root of his failure there. Dosal reveals how Guevara persisted long after failure seemed certain, and how it almost cost him his life when he refused to leave.
Special attention is paid to the disastrous Bolivian campaign. Many historians hint that Castro had a hand in Guevara's death, but Dosal effectively argues against the notion. Che's own shortcomings as a politician and planner proved to be the root of his failure and death. His tryst with a possible double agent, lack of planning for an urban support network, and insulting behavior toward Bolivian communist leaders all contributed to Guevara's doom. Guevara also violated most of the principles he articulated in his writings. Dosal's honesty about Guevara's character flaws ultimately make Che a more human, compassionate, and tragic figure than a lionizing biography would have.
Overall, Dosal's work rounded out my already considerable knowledge of this remarkable man. It penetrated through the myths to the man and his actions. I was impressed by the detail of the book. If I could name any fault, it is that events at the end of the Cuban campaign seemed to pass too quickly, without the detailed treatment of other battles. But in Dosal's defense, events did unfold in a virtual landslide pace, and the final military collapse of Batista's regime took little more than a month. Commandante Che is a must-read for anyone interested in Che Guevara as a soldier, tactician, and human, with as many flaws as dreams.
An Honest Military Assessment.......2003-10-24
A historical figure like Che Guevara can easily become enshrouded in myth and legend. Much of the material written on him focuses on Che the revolutionary or Che the theorist, but they miss the real point. Guevara was first and foremost a soldier and tactician, and that is the emphasis of Paul J. Dosal's level-headed assessment of Guevara as a military figure.
Dosal takes a hard, honest look at Guevara's contributions to history, eschewing image for substance. When one probes beyond Guevara's vitriolic words against capitalism and imperialism, we find a man impatient with debate and theory, and anxious for decisive action and violence. Instead of a live-saving man trained in medicine, Guevara cast himself as a dealer of death in combat.
The Cuban Revolution is examined, from the first disastrous engagement after landing to the deluge of victories over Batista's tottering regime. Dosal supplies helpful and detailed maps of specific engagements and campaigns (some as small as squad-level) to illustrate the action for his readers. I found the maps to be a welcome addition that allowed me to visualize the engagements as they happened. They also made other engagements easier to imagine, because Che's ambushes usually followed a fairly set pattern.
It is refreshing to read a book that is so solidly concerned with Guevara's actions. While Dosal dwells on the development of Guevara's revolutionary philosophy, he also illuminates his record as a commander. Guevara was a superior tactician among his comrades in the Cuban revolution, but he had no subtlety or finesse in the political arena. This shortcoming steadily hindered his efforts after the victory over Batista: first by angering the USSR and China while ostensibly seeking their support for Third World revolution, and second by alienating any Bolivian allies during his ill-fated campaign there.
Che's modest theoretical efforts are reviewed in detail as well, and Dosal makes no effort to portray these contributions as especially original. Instead he points out that Mao Tse-Tung's writings, as well as those of Lawrence of Arabia, originally covered the field of Guerilla Warfare in more detail. Dosal also highlights how the conditions of the Cuban Revolution were unique. Batista's army was well equipped with weapons, but not with the will to fight. Guevara wrongly assumed that every other undeveloped capitalist/authoritarian regime would crumble just as easily. In fact, many of Guevara's theories are based upon this mistaken belief, and explain his awful performance in Bolivia.
The focus is kept tight throughout, and Dosal's findings are not always flattering. Fidel's miscalculations, especially at the beginning of the campaign, are highlighted. Guevara's bravery and natural tactical abilities in conventional and guerilla warfare are never questioned. But his impulsive, arrogant, impatient, and fatalistic traits come to the fore after the Cuban victory. Dosal covers his ineffectual fiasco in Congo. While the results were not entirely his fault, his naïve belief that African nationalists would embrace an Argentine as their leader was the root of his failure there. Dosal reveals how Guevara persisted long after failure seemed certain, and how it almost cost him his life when he refused to leave.
Special attention is paid to the disastrous Bolivian campaign. Many historians hint that Castro had a hand in Guevara's death, but Dosal effectively argues against the notion. Che's own shortcomings as a politician and planner proved to be the root of his failure and death. His tryst with a possible double agent, lack of planning for an urban support network, and insulting behavior toward Bolivian communist leaders all contributed to Guevara's doom. Guevara also violated most of the principles he articulated in his writings. Dosal's honesty about Guevara's character flaws ultimately make Che a more human, compassionate, and tragic figure than a lionizing biography would have.
Overall, Dosal's work rounded out my already considerable knowledge of this remarkable man. It penetrated through the myths to the man and his actions. I was impressed by the detail of the book. If I could name any fault, it is that events at the end of the Cuban campaign seemed to pass too quickly, without the detailed treatment of other battles. But in Dosal's defense, events did unfold in a virtual landslide pace, and the final military collapse of Batista's regime took little more than a month. Commandante Che is a must-read for anyone interested in Che Guevara as a soldier, tactician, and human, with as many flaws as dreams.
Book Description
Although Russia experienced dramatic political breakthroughs in the late 1980s and early 1990s after shedding the shackles of Soviet rule, it subsequently failed to continue progressing toward democracy. M. Steven Fish offers an explanation for the direction of regime change in post-Soviet Russia, relying on cross-national comparative analysis as well as on in-depth field research in Russia. Fish demonstrates that Russia's failure to democratize has three causes: too much economic reliance on oil, too little economic liberalization, and too weak a national legislature.
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Conservation and Management of Rare and Endangered Plants
Thomas S. Elias , and
Jim Nelson
Manufacturer: California Native Plant Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0943460123 |
Book Description
This document is a proceedings from a conference on endangered and sensitive animal and plant species of California's San Joaquin Valley. Forty papers are included and present valuable and diverse information regarding conservation issues and species such as: San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, giant kangaroo rat, snowy plover, tri-colored blackbird, Kern mallow, vernal pools, and valley elderberry longhorn beetle.
Customer Reviews:
Endangered California.......2000-06-16
An excellent reference for the keystone and umbrella endangered species of the San Joaquin Valley. Any biologist that works in California should have this fine collection of papers. The species are in peril and it's up to us to do something about it.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Endangered Species Update, published by University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 527 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: We're glad to have glades.(wildlife management and plant conservation)
Author: Kim Mitchell
Publication:
Endangered Species Update (Newsletter)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Page: S28(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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The Habsburgs
The Fall of the House of Habsburg
A History of the Habsburg Empire, 1526-1918
The Habsburg Monarchy, 1809-1918 : A History of the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary
The Austrians: A Thousand-Year Odyssey
