The Pity of War

Name: The Pity of War
ISBN: 0465057128

by Niall Ferguson · first published 1998

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History Philosophy

In The Pity of War, Niall Ferguson explodes the myths of 1914-18. He argues that the fatal conflict between Britain and Germany was far from inevitable. It was Britain's declaration of war that needlessly turned a continental conflict into a world war, and it was Britain's economic mismanagement and military inferiority that necessitated American involvement, forever altering the global balance of power. Ferguson vividly brings back to life one of the seminal catastrophes of the century, not through a dry citation of chronological chapter and verse, but through a series of chapters that a

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brudgers · Aug 13, 2017 · Recommends

Niall Ferguson's Pity of War: Explaining World War I describes the finances of the participants in great detail. It's a fascinating read.
on “The extraordinary story of Britain’s efforts to finance the First World War” ↗
brudgers · Sep 2, 2017 · Recommends

…Hamlet, The Town, The Mansion. A River Runs Through It Programming Erlang: Software for a Concurrent World A Pattern Language The Analects Bhagavad Gita Apology The Republic Touch the Earth The Pity of War: Explaining World War I The Civil War: A Narrative
on “Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?” ↗
WalterBright · Jan 5, 2020 · Recommends

I really should do a list, but here's a few more: "Nothing Like It In The World" Stephen Ambrose The men who built the transcontinental railroad 1863-1869 "The Pity of War" Niall Ferguson Explaining World War 1 "Steve Jobs" Walter Isaacson "The Wright Brothers as Engineers" Quentin Wald "With the Old Breed" Eugene Sledge "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman" Richard Feynman…
on “Ask HN: Are books worth it?” ↗
brudgers · Jan 1, 2017 · Mentions

The article reminded me of Niall Ferguson's Pity of War. http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/05/09/reviews/990509.09bergh...
vixen99 · Jan 30, 2017 · Mentions

Niall Ferguson makes a detailed case for this in The Pity of War. https://www.amazon.com/Pity-War-Explaining-World/dp/04650571...
on “Britain Should Not Have Fought in the First World War” ↗
WalterBright · Apr 30, 2022 · Mentions

…healthcare is the most heavily regulated industry (by far) in the US. Heavy bureaucratic regulations make an organization unable to adapt to local and/or changing circumstances. I read in the book "The Pity of War" by Ferguson that the reason the death rates of the German army in WW1 were so much lower than that of the British is the British generals would craft detailed orders on how the soldiers were to achieve…
on “Top navy admiral wants rust-free ships” ↗
WalterBright · May 11, 2018 · Mentions

According to "The Pity of War" by Ferguson, the Germans in WW1 were able to kill British soldiers at about twice the rate as vice versa. They attributed this to the German Army giving goals as orders rather than methods, allowing…
on “Why dumb recruits cost the Army, big-time (2006)” ↗
sswaner · Jun 18, 2018 · Mentions

The Pity of War by Niall Ferguson is an in-depth study of the economics of WW1. It covers where the billions went. The industrialists did very well, to the point that Eisenhower in his farewell address cautioned against…
on “Eugene Debs Was Jailed for Speaking Out Against WWI, 100 Years Ago This Week” ↗