The proud tower - Kirjakasa

English language

Published Dec. 30, 1966

ISBN:: 978-0-345-40501-2

(1 review)

The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 is a 1966 book by Barbara Tuchman, consisting of a collection of essays she had published in various periodicals during the mid-1960s. It followed the publication of the highly successful book The Guns of August (published in Britain as August 1914). Each chapter deals with a different country, theme, and time (although all relate to the approximately 25 years preceding World War I). Two chapters are about British governments in 1895 and 1910; one chapter is dedicated to the Dreyfus Affair in France; and another is nominally about the Wilhelmine politics of late 19th-century Germany, but is really about German music and culture in that period. Other chapters cover the United States (particularly the efforts of Thomas Reed, Speaker of the House, to overcome the tyranny of the absent quorum), the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, the …

The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 is a 1966 book by Barbara Tuchman, consisting of a collection of essays she had published in various periodicals during the mid-1960s. It followed the publication of the highly successful book The Guns of August (published in Britain as August 1914). Each chapter deals with a different country, theme, and time (although all relate to the approximately 25 years preceding World War I). Two chapters are about British governments in 1895 and 1910; one chapter is dedicated to the Dreyfus Affair in France; and another is nominally about the Wilhelmine politics of late 19th-century Germany, but is really about German music and culture in that period. Other chapters cover the United States (particularly the efforts of Thomas Reed, Speaker of the House, to overcome the tyranny of the absent quorum), the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, the anarchist movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the activities of the Socialist International and trade unions. The title of the book is derived from the 1845 Edgar Allan Poe poem "The City in the Sea". Two lines of the poem are used as the epigraph for the book: "While from a proud tower in the town/ Death looks gigantically down."

3 editions

Thom reviewed The proud tower by Barbara W. Tuchman

Review of 'The proud tower' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Had the subtitle of this been "A collection of essays about the world before The Great War" it would have rated 3 or possibly 4 stars, with individual essays ranging from 2 to 5 stars. Alas, instead of a portrait, we are given a paint-by-numbers which remains undone. Unsatisfying.

These were essays, previously published, and some are quite good - they just aren't connected. I really enjoyed essays on the Anarchist movement and the Dreyfus affair, and the last chapter on Jean Jaures and Socialism is also well done. The essay about the Hague conferences of 1899 and 1907 was interesting, and I learned a lot about Thomas Reed and his struggle to keep America from becoming a colonial power. Two essays focus on Great Britain (Lord Salisbury and the House of Lords in general) were not my cup of tea (as it were), and the essay about Strauss operas …

Had the subtitle of this been "A collection of essays about the world before The Great War" it would have rated 3 or possibly 4 stars, with individual essays ranging from 2 to 5 stars. Alas, instead of a portrait, we are given a paint-by-numbers which remains undone. Unsatisfying.

These were essays, previously published, and some are quite good - they just aren't connected. I really enjoyed essays on the Anarchist movement and the Dreyfus affair, and the last chapter on Jean Jaures and Socialism is also well done. The essay about the Hague conferences of 1899 and 1907 was interesting, and I learned a lot about Thomas Reed and his struggle to keep America from becoming a colonial power. Two essays focus on Great Britain (Lord Salisbury and the House of Lords in general) were not my cup of tea (as it were), and the essay about Strauss operas didn't work at all.

The bibliography and references are extensive, as with each of her histories. The Guns of August took me a month to read in depth; this took longer than a month and was often a chore. I plan to read other focused histories - such as Zimmerman or Stillwell - but will probably avoid other essay collections by this author. My suggestion for interested friends - pick a topic and read the essay related to it, but don't try to read this one cover to cover.