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- Leadership Techniques by Wes Roberts?
- You Can Learn A Lot From A Hun
- EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP BOOK
- Should be required reading for new managers
- Leadership
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Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun
Wess Roberts
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
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ASIN: 0446391069 |
Book Description
Classic insight for modern times.The world's foremost producer of personal development and motivational audio programs now offers a completely unique approach to learning leadership skills.Most programs on leadership present the successes of contemporary men and women as role models for study. While valuable lessons can be learned from their examples, few models or success stories reveal the true essence of their leadership abilities or can anticipate the special circumstances, conditions, or situations that you deal with as a manager.In the runaway bestseller Leadership Secrets Of Attila The Hun, author Wess Roberts draws from the imaginary thoughts of one of history's most effective and least beloved leaders, Attila the Hun, to discover leadership principles you can apply to your own situation. In a uniquely creative and entertaining approach to a most serious task, "Attila" reveals his principles for successful morale building, decision making, delegating and negotiating, and gives advice on overcoming setbacks and achieving goals.
Customer Reviews:
Leadership Techniques by Wes Roberts?.......2007-09-22
I've personally met Wes while hosting a student speaker forum at the University of Utah. At the time, Wes was working for American Express and I remember today...over 20 years later how narcisistic and vulgar he presented himself. At the time these values were "popular" and it was a time when huge take-overs and ruthless tactics were the norm. We were treated to works like "Barbarian at the Gates" and "Wallstreet" where greed and making money at the expense of everthing honorable was the montra and the norm. When you read this book you should do so with the thought that these are leadership techniques of the past and do not adapt these techniques into your own life. As a historical piece to look at how greed and self-interest were out of control in America, it's perfect.
You Can Learn A Lot From A Hun.......2007-08-22
While this book is over 20 years old, it is a classic read for business professionals who seek more knowledge and different points of views from business books.
Leadership skills and ways to improve them are always a "hot topic". This book takes lessons from a great warrior and interprets them into stories that relate to the modern day corporate executive.
If you have made it this far in reading my review, take the next step and buy the book!
thom
EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP BOOK.......2007-06-12
This book offers a no frills and unorthodox view on leadership practices. I recommend this book to any one that is tired of the chop shop run of th emill leadership book. Quick read.
Should be required reading for new managers.......2007-05-30
I realize this book has been around for some time, but I still refer to it out every so often to pull out a pearl of wisdom. Sometimmes when we are speaking on a regular basis to leaders of various skill levels from seasoned veterans to green rookies, we need to reach back into one of these 'classics'for a fresh idea.
Leadership.......2007-01-25
Great reading and should not be treated lightly, a virtual handbook for the boss and should be taught in high school!
Book Description
They were history's most famous and ferocious warriors. From the Huns to the Mongols, successive waves of nomadic horsemen swept out of the great steppes of Central Asia and wreaked havoc on the static civilizations of Europe, India, and China. How were they so successful? And, what were the limits of their powers? An esteemed professor--who specializes in Arabic and medieval studies--reveals just how "underdeveloped" societies spawned such great generals, from Attila to Genghis Khan; how nomadic Arabs swarmed from the desert in the 7th century to carve out an empire that stretched from Spain to the Chinese frontier; why the Mongols failed to conquer Europe; and where those unique, seaborne raiders, the Vikings, fit into this story.
Customer Reviews:
Nice survey, well illustrated.......2003-08-29
In this large format book, Kennedy gives us basic overviews of how some nomadic societies dominated neighbors through their proficiency in war. He covers Attila and the Huns, the Arabs during their period of expansion, the Turks, Genghis Khan and the Mongols, and, strangely, the Vikings. Kennedy tells us that all adult male nomads were potential warriors; there were no civilians in these societies. He gives particular attention to the Mongols, devoting two chapters to them but only one each to the other groups. The chapter on the Vikings seems somewhat out of place, as they were not nomadic.
Most readers will gain new insights from these surveys. Kennedy's writing is fluid and readable, though not elegant. The book is well illustrated with color plates, colored maps, and black and white drawings. The maps of key battles are particularly well done.
Quality work, but..........2002-10-29
Mongols, Huns and Vikings is another well written, well researched installment in the Cassell's History of Warfare series. The author, Hugh Kennedy, does a fine job of weaving comprehensible language into a serious, scholarly endeavor that keeps the reader hooked. The illustrations, maps and diagrams are excellent visual aids, particularly those 3-d battle graphics which effectively buttrusses textual decriptions of certain battles mentioned in the book. So, what's the problem? Well, I won't call it a problem. Let's call it a concern. Considering the extent of the Mongols' domain during the 13th century, and how successful they were at wedding undaunted ferocity on the battlefield to a keen strategic and tactical acumen that would win them 20th century admirers of the likes of Rommel, I am concerned that the author did not choose to focus exclusively on them. Why does he have the Mongols sharing space with groups of lesser military accomplishments? Maybe such a decision was not the author's perogative, but a desire of the editors of the series. I don't know. In any event, there is not enough literature, at least that I have been able to ascertain, on the Mongols. And for a formerly disparate bunch of hard scrabbling nomads who later went on to forge the largest contiguous empire in history, the Mongols' low profile on the historical landscape is questionable. Again, I don't dispute the book's style or the accuracy of its content; I just wish there could have been a singular focus on the Mongols.
Armies in Search of a Country.......2002-10-28
Hugh Kennedy's "Mongols, Huns & Vikings" is the latest installment of Casell's History of Warfare series, a multi-volume collection edited by the Britsh historian John Keegan. The book is a bit mistitled--Arabs and Turks command more of the author's attention than, say, the Vikings--but it is still an interesting survey of nomad warfare in the Dark and Middle Ages.
Kennedy explains why, for 1,000 years, the nomads were so successful in their wars against civilization. They had incredible mobility, so that they could outmaneuver their opponents in battle. If things went badly, they could quickly vanish into the desert, steppes or ocean from which they had come. They were very tough and lived off the land, so they did not need long supply lines. They had capable leaders, who led because of their skills rather than because they were members of an established nobility. And they were an army in search of a country: every male in the nomad population was likely to be a skilled warrior, whether that meant firing an arrow from the back of a pony or swinging a sword on the deck of a ship.
For nearly 1,000 years, the nomads threatened the civilized world. But though they were very successful, surprisingly little is known about them: it may be true that history is written by the victors, but it is just as often the case that history is written by the people who can write. Because nomad societies tended to be illiterate, their history was usually told by their horrified victims.
And their victims had plenty to be horrified about. As Kennedy makes clear, the Mongols, Huns and Vikings had a very well-deserved reputation for cruelty and ruthlessness. The nomad threat began to wane only with the emergence of gunpowder weapons, which could not be easily obtained by nomads but could be produced in abundance by stable societies.
"Mongols, Huns and Vikings" is a reasonably well written, informative and well-illustrated survey of the rise and fall of the nomad warriors. The battle maps, in particular, are quite well done and very clearly lay out what is known about how several decisive battles were fought. ...
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Epic.......2007-08-23
Ancient history comes vividly to life in this novel of a dying Rome and its great battle against the forces of Attila the Hun. Most interestingly, Dietrich took real historical events and wove them into a colorful tale with very few fictional characters.
Jonas Alabanda is a young scribe living in Constantinople, the eastern seat of the Roman Empire, when he is given the opportunity of a lifetime to join an envoy to Attila the Hun's court as a chronicler and interpreter. Unbeknownst to Jonas and most members of the Roman party, treachery is afoot. Underestimating the loyalty of the Huns to their king, one of the Romans approaches a Hun soldier with an offer of gold if he will assassinate Attila. The Hun tells Attila of the Roman plot, however, and Attila murders part of their party, sends others home in disgrace, and keeps Jonas as a hostage.
Also hostage in Attila's camp is a young Roman woman named Ilana, taken after the siege of Axiopolis. Along with a dwarf who befriends them, Jonas and Ilana form an alliance and make plans to escape back into the Roman Empire with a relic sacred to the Huns. When their plans go awry, Jonas must still get back to the Romans and tell them what he knows of the Huns. Rome must gather its allies and prepare to fight the battle to end all battles, believed by many at the time to be the Apocalypse.
I am not an avid reader of respected historical fiction, but I like to read a little bit of everything, and in my opinion, this was a darned good book. The fifth century came brilliantly alive, giving a picture of everyday life 16 centuries ago in a way that made me feel as if I was there. The harshness of life, both with the barbarians and "civilized" Romans, was quite evident in almost every scene, yet it was easy to relate to the timelessly human characters. I'm lucky I discovered Dietrich when he was writing modern thrillers, and bought this book on the strength of his name. It was well worth reading, and I look forward to experiencing his other historicals, as well.
Just get past the first 150 pages..........2007-05-04
So this book was recommended to me by a little old lady in a small independent book store. I bought it because she was really nice and the store needed the business. So the book starts off really slow. It took about 154 pages until something interesting happened. Granted the author needed to set up the storyline, but it would have been nice to have some action happen during the set up. After the story got going it did get better and I enjoyed it. If you can get past the first 150 pages then I think you'll enjoy this book, especially if you like history. If you follow Roman history then you'll really love this book.
Dietrich is a great writer, but not a novelist.......2007-03-04
I have read Dietrich before, and without knowing it. I read "Ice Reich" many years ago, and when I read "Scourge of God," I kept thinking "this book reminds me a lot of "Ice Reich!" I was not surprised when I realized both books were written by the same author. His writing style is recognizable, even after so many years in between these two books. Nice prose, excellent story line, but same ordinary characters. Jonas and Ilana are the archetypal couple who overcome unsurmountable difficulties.
Attila the Hun is a demanding topic. There's no doubt in my mind about Mr Dietrich's considerable research on this particular subject. He's right when he says that no country wants the honor to become the birthplace of these mysterious people, and to be honest, I enjoyed the "Epilogue" more than the story itself.
This was also a story of "coming of age." A young man, educated but not too brilliant, rich but not too prosperous and finally, smart but not too clever, meets a girl under tragic circumstances, and in rescuing her he learns to be a man.
Not a bad book for youngsters, there's a lot of action to keep them entertained, but for an alternative reading on Attila I recommend "Attila's Treasure" (fiction) by Stephan Grundy.
The Huns vs. the Romans; excellent historical fiction.......2007-01-25
As with his other books, William Dietrich gives his readers an excellent blend of historical fact and adventure, this time centering on the invasion and last great battles of Attila the Hun, attacking a crumbling Roman empire.
Set in the years around 450AD, the historical characters of Attila, the Roman General Aetius and a host of others are intertwined with believable fictional protaganists:
- Jonas Alabanda, a young Roman from Constantinople, enlisted in the ill fated diplomatic mission to Attila that harbors a plot to assasinate the Hun leader;
- Ilana, a Roman woman whose city is ravaged by the Huns, her father and fiance killed, and she taken as a slave;
- Skilla, a Hun fighter and future warlord, fighting for Attila and against Jonas for Ilana's favor.
Jonas journey leads him from the comforts of Constantinople (the Roman capital in the east) into Attila's camp, a different world where battle and survival rule. While appearing simply barbaric at first, Jonas comes to realize that the Hun way of life could replace the Roman civilization if Attila's march is unchecked. Forced into slavery after the uncovering of the assination plot, Jonas is forced to fight Skilla for Ilana. He later escapes, losing Ilana in the process, but finds himself thrust headlong into the ultimate Battle of Nations, as Jonas helps the Roman General Aetius diplomatically assemble the armies of Roman and the western barbarians to meet Attila's barbarian horde, with Ilana in tow. They meet in the Battle of Nations, to decide the fate of Western Civilization.
As with Mr. Dietrich's other novels, the blend of historical fact with adventure and fictional characters makes for a well-paced read. The descriptions of the battles, the contrast of life in Constantinople vs. life with the Huns and other barbarians, and the imagined descriptions of great and minor historical characters are all well written. Sometimes a backward looking historical perspective intrudes on the main character, but the information provided helps put the fictional story into factual context.
Highly recommended, as are Bill's other novels I have read (Napolean's Pyramids and Getting Back).
Attila and the Battle of Nations.......2006-09-08
The Roman Empire is on it's last leg by 5th Century AD. It's greatest threat is the barbaric Huns, led by savage Atilla. Eastern Rome sends a envoy out to meet him and set up a peace, but secretly plans to murder Atilla. The plan is found out and envoy's scribe, Jonas, is kept prisoner. He meets and falls in love with another Roman prisoner, and the two, aided by a smart dwarf and his wife, escape and try to help the Roman Army plan a defense against the envadeing hord. The last few pages detail the Battle of Nations, and are some of the most exiting action/war scenes ever written. I really enjoyed this historical adventure. I believe it is more accurate to the events and attitiudes of the cultures involved than to actual detail. The author's afterward tells us that he made it as realistic as possible, but also admits to taking liberties; like The Sword of Mars. If your a fan of Roman history, and want some idea about the last days of Roman Empire, check this book out.
Book Description
The Huns were the most feared and notorious barbarians of the ancient world. The infamous Attila, king of the Huns, and his subjects were known to their Roman enemies as the 'scourge of god'. They were Turco-Mongol nomads, originating from the steppes of central Asia who migrated westward, shifting whole nations and leaving devastation in their wake.
The Huns were superb horsemen and excellent archers, fighting with a reflex composite-bow, which could penetrate armour at 100 yards, a more potent weapon than the longbow or any bow in use at the time. In battle they would strike fear into the hearts of their opponents and break up their formations, charging at them with surprising speed and apparent chaos whilst showering them with arrows. Thus their very name came to epitomise swift, merciless destruction.
Often the Huns are dismissed as barbarians, and thus historically they became a metaphor for barbarism. However they were well able to enjoy the trappings of civilised society won through their military gains. They also had a tremendous impact on the Roman military system, as 80 years after the Hun defeat at the battle of Chalons, the Roman cavalryman was armed with the composite bow and as skilled as the Hun in hand-to-hand fighting.
Nic Fields expertly surveys the rise of the Huns and the workings of their society and the development of their battle-winning weapons and tactics, from their first attacks on the Goths to the death of the Emperor Justinian, paying particular attention to the great battle of Chalons and the mighty rule of Attila.
Customer Reviews:
Not up to their usual standards.......2007-05-07
I was very disappointed in this book about the "Neighbors from Hell". The text was so-so but the illustrations were a disappointment. Pity as it (The Subject) is a great theme what with the birth of the Dark Ages and the "Fall" of Rome. That and that symbol of a really bad man - Attila you could of had a compelling story. The "Elite" book of Attila by the same publishers is a better deal.
Huns.......2007-03-31
To a point, I agree with the previous reviews in that it was not, in text or pictures, one of the better Osprey books. I disagree on the plates however. Although there were only six, they were still pretty good (albeit not Christa Hook's best). There is really little information in this book that cannot be gleaned from previous Osprey titles.
A Bland Telling of an Exciting Moment in History.......2007-02-20
The impact of the Huns in history is staggering, given their impact on pushing the declining Roman Empire over the edge. Hun warriors themselves are intriguing, since these steppe cavalrymen were able to best most contemporary armies. Realizing that historical records on the Huns are very limited, writing a military history of the Huns is a difficult but not impossible task. Unfortunately, Osprey's Warrior #111 on the Huns comes up far short of what readers will expect.
The Hun: Scourge of God has the usual Warrior series sections on dress, equipment, weapons, horses and on campaign. The six color plates - usually the highlight of Osprey volumes - are awful. The best parts of the volume are the 17 pages on Hun society (which are adequate, but little more) and the 6 pages on campaign. However, I thought the 16 pages spent on the Hun's composite bow would never end. There simply was not enough meat and potatoes in this volume on tactics and would made the Huns such fearsome warriors.
I agree with the previous review.......2007-02-03
Contrary to most of the Osprey books (I have more than three hundred them now, after 20 years of collecting) this is a poor quality thing. The text is at the very best average, the color plates are just HORRIBLE!!
A Disappointment.......2007-01-01
Osprey's "The Huns" was quite a disappointment. The biggest flaw was that author Nic Fields failed to integrate any of the recent scholarship on the subject for this book. There has been a flood of archeological and physical anthropological research from Eastern European scholars regarding the Huns and the Pannonian/Hungarian plain in the last 30 years. Much has been translated into English and is available at most decent research libraries. Fields, also, fails to incorporate more recent Western scholarly materials, such as the works of Denis Sinor or Peter Golden. Based mostly on classical sources, Fields's work reads as if written by a 1920's British armchair historian. This was a huge lost opportunity for Osprey as a follow up to David Nicolle's tremendous if overly ambitious (tracing a thousand years of steppe cultures), Attila and the Nomad Hordes.
Another disappointment was the illustrations. Fields lards the book with illustrations and photos from the Renaissance, the European Romantic period, a Verdi opera, and from the cinema (including a photo of Anthony Quinn playing Attila.) While these may be interesting in a contemporary cultural context, they add absolutely nothing to a portrayal of the Hunnic culture. Fields, also, includes the ubiquitous photos of Greek artisan representations of Scythians on golden bowls, which pre-date Attila by about 700 years and armor from the Chinese Qianlong Emperor c. 1750 C.E., i.e. 1400 years after the Hun era! They are so askew chronologically that it's hard not to look at these inclusions as less than energetic scholarship. If he had emphasized more recent source material he would have found far more engaging images. There are some chronologically appropriate photos included: a skull displaying "Hunnic" cranial deformation, an Alemanni spangenhelm from the period, and Hunnic/Gothic jewelry. These are germane and powerful photographs. It is unfortunate that there aren't more photos as relevant as this in the book.
The final straw is the color plates, usually the high point of Osprey books. Christa Hook's illustrations are poorly drawn and ugly. She has done fine work for Osprey in the past. Her work on "Saracen Faris," "Knights of Outremer," "Norman Knight," "Late Roman Cavalry"," and other works are more than competent. But here, the work appears rushed. Her representations of Hun warriors are rough and grotesque. Moreover, there are only 6 color plates in the book. The other Osprey Warrior series books that I've seen have at least 10-12 color plates.
This work appears that it was done on the quick and cheap.
Book Description
The name Attila the Hun has become a byword for barbarism, savagery and violence. His is a truly household name, but what do we really know about the man himself, his position in history and the world in which he lived? This riveting biography reveals the man behind the myth.
In the years 434-454AD the fate of Europe hung upon the actions of one man, Attila, king of the Huns. The decaying Roman Empire still stood astride the Western World from its twin capitals of Rome and Constantinople, but it was threatened by a new force, the much-feared Babarian horde. It was Attila who united the Barbarian tribes into a single, amazingly effective army and launched two violent attacks against the eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire, attacks which earned him his reputation for mindless devastation, and brought an end to Rome’s pre-eminence in Europe.
Attila was coarse, capricious, arrogant, ruthless and brilliant. An illiterate and predatory tribal chief, he had no interest in administration, but was a wily politician who, from his base in the grasslands of Hungary, used secretaries and ambassadors to bring him intelligence on his enemies. He was a leader whose unique qualities made him supreme among tribal leaders, but whose weaknesses ensured the collapse of his empire after his death.
Customer Reviews:
A Compelling Read.......2006-10-13
Is it me, or are modern days authors making historical books that much more readable. Most of the historical books I have read recently are far removed from the dusty old volumes that lay mouldering in the bookcase or on the shelves of the library. Mainly, I believe because the contents inside the book are as dry and dusty as the outside and of little value to anyone other than a scholar.
This book is written with a light touch, making it refreshingly readable without straying from the facts. If more books were written in this way, history would become a rare treat, rather than something that is there mainly for the academic.
Although most schoolboys know the name Attila, a man who was known for his barbarism, and some may even be able to tell you that he was instrumental in holding the fate of the Roman Empire in his hands. Very little else is known about the man himself and the warriors he led.
In the early 5th century AD Attila and his warriors earned an undying reputation for savagery, the like of which had never been seen. His empire briefly rivalled that of Rome, reaching from the Rhine to the Black Sea, the Baltic to the Balkans.
This book is a compelling read about the man, known throughout history as a barbarian, who was arrogant and ruthless, but on the other side of the coin a man with a brilliant mind and the charisma to win the loyalty of millions. I enjoyed it tremendously.
Book Description
A groundbreaking assessment of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, told from the point of view of the peoples vanquished by Rome.
Until recently, it was assumed that Rome carried the torch of civilization into the barbarian darkness, bringing law, architecture, and literature to conquered peoples. The alternative view now suggests that many of Rome's enemies—the Celts, Hebrews, and Phoenicians, for example—were developing civilizations in their own right before obliteration at the Roman sword. Indeed, as Philip Matyszak argues, had Rome not crushed rivals so completely, the drop into the Dark Ages might not have occurred; at Rome's collapse, no other powerful civilizations remained to absorb the impact.
This book looks at the growth and eventual demise of Rome from the viewpoint of those vanquished by Rome. They varied from the highly cultivated Greeks and Egyptians to wild and rebellious Britons and Germans, to the Asiatic empires of the Persians and Parthians. Their leaders were driven by ambition, vindictive hatred, fear, political calculation, or naked greed. Some fought to preserve their heritage, some for personal survival, and others from a warrior's love of battle. Defying the might of Rome was a dangerous business, and few of the men and women described here died in their beds. Some, like Vercingetorix and Jugurtha, were captured, exhibited in triumph, and then, while their conquerors sat down to a festive dinner, killed in the dungeons below. Rather than face such an end, some of Rome's greatest adversaries, including Hannibal, Boudicca, and Cleopatra, killed themselves.
Here is the reality behind legends such as Spartacus the gladiator, and the stories of Shapur the conqueror and Mithridates the connoisseur of poisons. Some enemies of Rome were noble heroes, others were murdering villains, but each has a unique and fascinating story. 80 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
an outstanding book.......2007-03-06
This book tells the stories of seventeen of Rome's most redoubtable enemies. In engaging and informative prose, Philip Matyszak gives us a glimpse into the Mediterranean world from 264 BC to AD 476. But this is not a book of names and dates. It is the highly readable narrative of fascinating people and great civilizations. The text is supplemented by maps, translations from ancient historians such as Tacitus and Cassius Dio, representative line drawings, and photos. I read The Enemies of Rome with a sense of pleasure rather than a sense of obligation.
I would have liked to see more material on Fritigern and the battle of Adrianople, which was mentioned only briefly in the chapter on Alaric the Visigoth. However, this is only a small lack in an otherwise outstanding book.
Excellent military history, could be better cultural history .......2006-01-16
_The Enemies of Rome_ by Philip Matyszak has as a stated premise the idea that Rome did too good a job of becoming the dominant power in the Mediterranean region. It was not enough that Rome became at the time the major civilization in Europe; it became essentially the only civilization in Europe. Had Rome not crushed the rival powers in the region so completely the Dark Ages might not have ever occurred. When Roman civilization first began to flourish and spread, there were other lively, competing, and different civilizations; the Seleucid Empire in the East, the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt, both legacies of the conquests of Alexander the Great, the urban civilizations of the Hebrews, the Phoenicians, and the Carthaginians, and the rapidly developing and urbanizing Celtic peoples of western Europe (particularly Gaul). Though Rome absorbed much from the peoples it conquered (particularly from the Greek peoples of Greece and Asia Minor), it also created a "monoculture," as the peoples of the Mediterranean faced the choice of "Roman civilization or no civilization," and without a Europe of diverse cultures and civilizations Rome became "sterile, sick, and ossified." When Rome finally fell to the Goths, Franks, and Vandals, there was no civilization to take its place.
Matyszak divided his narrative into four parts, each proceeded by a prologue, outlining the general state of Rome in that period and giving a broad overview of the enemies it faced, followed by individual chapters, each devoted to a particular opponent, focusing primarily upon one individual leader, as most of the threats from other cultures to Rome centered around one leader and generally when that leader was vanquished the threat from that culture (if not the culture itself) ended. There was also an epilogue.
Part one dealt with the birth of the Roman superpower, beginning in the 260s B.C. and extending till about 100 B.C. During this period Rome faced the greatest threat to its early existence, that posed by Hannibal, and its first enemies outside the Italian peninsula; in addition to fighting Hannibal and the Carthaginians in their homeland Rome had to contend with the Macedonian king Philip V, who proved a threat to Rome while it was fighting Hannibal, the great Lusitanian leader Viriathus, and the Numidian king Jugurtha, a leader who was not only a great general but cunningly exploited the growing arrogance and corruption within Roman society.
In part two Matyszak examined what he called the "slow death of the Roman Republic," a period marked by treason, plots, and civil war (the reader gets a good deal of Roman history in this book). In addition to the Social War, a civil war, Rome clashed with enemies abroad, notably the King of Pontus, Mithridates (Pontus being a region in eastern Asian Minor), a situation made worse by the protracted civil war (Mithridates prevailed in some battles because Roman forces began to fight one another) and due to epic mismanagement and corruption on the part of the Romans (a chronic problem in Roman history). During this time Rome faced the revolt lead by Spartacus, which was well covered, the fight against the Parthian king Orodes II (Parthia being an empire in the lands of Persia and modern Iraq), and the struggle that involved the Ptolemaic queen Cleopatra. Also in this time was Caesar's war against the Gauls, lead by Vercingetorix, which the author particularly condemned as having been fought only for internal Roman political reasons and resulted in the death and dispossession of millions of people, one of the "greatest catastrophes of the ancient world," a "holocaust" unmatched until the later Spanish conquistadors actions in the Americas in the 16th century.
Part three focused on the Pax Romana, Rome at its height from Augustus' triumph at Actium in 31 BC through the reign of Emperor Trajan (ending in 117 AD). Rome reached its greatest physical extent at this time, coming into conflict with the Germans under Arminius (a rare retreat for Rome), the revolt by the queen of the Iceni in Britain, Boudicca, the rebellion of the Jews, and the war against the Dacians, lead by king Decebalus (Dacia roughly corresponds to modern Romania and part of Hungary).
The final chapter dealt with the end of the Empire, beginning with the ascension of the "thoroughly bad emperor" Commodus in AD 180, a time during which Rome came to blows with the great Persian king Shapur I, the queen of Palmyra, Zenobia (Palmyra was based in Syria and at one time included parts of Asia Minor and Egypt), the Gothic leader Alaric, and the infamous Attila the Hun.
High points for me about the book were the many excellent contemporary illustrations of Rome's enemies, many of which were surviving examples of artwork from that culture; two sets of plates showed statues, busts, coins, paintings, and reliefs depicting the leaders and soldiers of other cultures as well as some famous Romans that were prominent in the book, such as Sulla, Julius Caesar, and Titus. Within each chapter were black and white illustrations, generally depicting a typical warrior from the culture being discussed in that chapter. There were many excellent, gripping, and adventurous battle accounts as well as some nice descriptions of Roman and other culture's weapons, armor, mounts, and fighting tactics. There were also helpful maps in each chapter as well.
The only complaints I have about the book are that there was no real exploration of how each culture might have survived and what sort of civilization might have developed, particularly in the case of new ones like the urbanizing Celts of Gaul, had they lived on past the end of the Roman Empire. Also the author did not really explore Byzantine civilization to any great extent. I found his book useful and very interesting and liked his general premise; I just wish he had emphasized the cultural and developmental possibilities of the civilizations Rome destroyed or absorbed, perhaps at the expense of some of the detailed and otherwise excellent battle descriptions.
It does very well what it is supposed to do .......2005-10-28
The book is quite good for its intended audience, that is for the person interested in history, but is not a professional historian. The prose is light, the pacing is good, and one can read through it with ease. It is also quite interesting, all the major enemies are covered and enemies are analyzed on all regions.
The author has the thesis that the overwhelming success that the romans enjoyed for a time, destroyed all the cultures that could have taken its place when it fell and could have avoided the dark ages. I am not sure about the validity of such an idea, but it is at least interesting, and it should be remarked that the author does not push this idea throughout all the book, but if one looks for it one can see where the author might be correct.
If you like history, and you like to read about the romans, I recommend this book.
Customer Reviews:
Entertaining history and leadership skills.......2002-05-13
This great little book is history with a purpose - by far the best sort of history - and it teaches leadership using an original technique. Set in the fifth century AD, in the time of the decline of the mighty Roman empire, the author gives us an apposite slice of life and then has one of history's great leaders comment upon it. Attila, the formidable king of the Hun confederacy, teaches leadership round the campfire to his chieftains. It is certainly an easy way to learn history - I read it twice - light, well written and well-researched. The lessons are entertaining and say a lot in a few lines. Some of it is very insightful, I went through the book with a pencil to note the best points. Occasionally it is a little repetitious and lapses in the logic, but I enjoyed it and learnt a lot.
Create an atmosphere of trust, competency and reward ..........2001-11-30
Most people today think of Attila the Hun as an evil, ruthless barbarian, but this is a shallow and ill-informed take on his life and many successful campaigns.
Attila had a great love for his people, and maintained only modest comforts for himself. He used his war chest to empower his tribe and his people. Attila does not discriminate based on age, sex or race, but forms his judgements based on merit, success and the individual's potential.
Vain and beligerant pseudo-warrior management types will be disappointed to learn that Attila's victories were borne on the back of competence, even-handedness, reasonable reward and mutual respect. Anyone looking for simple parlor tricks and manipulative techniques to fool or bully co-workers and subordinates into submission will be dissapointed here. This book is about improving the self and becoming a better person in order to lead victoriously, not creating a facade to hide the miserable and incompetent soul.
"Victory Secrets of Attila the Hun" helps to reveal the context of the ruler's life and its parallels in the modern world through history, parable, and fantasy. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read for principle-based managers concerned for the health, welfare, growth and prosperity of their company, and the lives of those around them.
Eye-opening and informative........1998-10-13
Gave me insight to my "Atilla" at work and help to understand him. I love the book and hope to get more of Wess' books.
Readable entertaining insight into big biz hierarchies........1998-10-07
Esteemed executive, Wess Roberts, weaves an involving teaching tool of equal parts history, fantasy and illustrative instruction. This unique "how to" on building and leading a big business hierarchy from the middle, and the top, is also a true to history, interpretive extraction of the Hun empire revived and empowered by one man, Attila the Hun. Attila's own success is not only an analogous base for the lessons at hand but also their validation. An easy, concise read for top and middle managers on the go; an overlooked gem in a pile of rubblous hype.
Book Description
Attila the Hun is a household name---a byword for mindless barbarism. But to most of us the man himself, his world, and his significance are all unknown. In this stunning historical narrative, John Man reveals the real Attila.
For a crucial twenty years in the early fifth century, Attila held the fate of the Roman Empire and the future of all Europe in his hands. The decaying imperium, dominating the West from its twin capitals of Rome and Constantinople, was threatened by barbarian tribes from the East. It was Attila who created the greatest of barbarian forces. His empire briefly rivaled Rome’s, reaching from the Rhine to the Black Sea, the Baltic to the Balkans. In numerous raids and three major campaigns against the Roman Empire, he earned himself an instant and undying reputation for savagery.
But there was more to him than mere barbarism. Attila’s power derived from his astonishing character. He was capricious, arrogant, and brutal---but also brilliant enough to win the loyalty of millions. Huns thought him semi divine, Goths and other barbarians adored him, educated Westerners were proud to serve him. Attila was also a canny politician. From his base in the Hungarian grasslands, he sent Latin and Greek secretaries to blackmail the Roman Empire. Like other despots, before and since, he relied on foreign financial backing and knew how to play upon the weaknesses of his friends and enemies. With this unique blend of qualities, Attila very nearly dictated Europe’s future.
In the end, his ambitions ran away with him. An insane demand for the hand of a Roman princess and assaults too deep into France and Italy led to sudden death in the arms of a new wife. He did not live long enough to found a lasting empire--- but enough to jolt Rome toward its final fall.
In this riveting biography, John Man draws on his extensive travels through Attila’s heartland and his experience with the nomadic traditions of Central Asia to reveal the man behind the myth.
Customer Reviews:
pictures? what pictures?.......2007-07-02
As someone said, a solid biography.Quite good on the aftermath of the Huns. But did anyone notice that this book has a list of illustrations but no actual illustrations?
History of the Huns.......2007-05-08
In this volume, Man explores both the biography of Attila- 'the scourge of G-D', who carved out a massive Hunnish Empire strching from the Caspian Sea to the Rhine, with it's headquarters in what is today's Hungary.
At the same time. he threatened the very foundations of the Roman Empire.
The book traces the origins of the Huns, from the area around what is today Mongolia, and their migration across Siberia and modern Russia into Europe.
Man attempts to sort myth and legend from fact, and also deals with the differing imagery of Attila, from bloodthirsty monster, in Western Europe, to a national hero in Hungary.
He covers much of the literature and myhtology of Attila, and explains why the Germans during the First World War, were reffered to by the British as 'Huns'.
The peoples of Hungary and Bulgaria claim descent from the Huns, but the author does not deal in real depth with the question of Hunnic descent.
Man explains the decline of the Roman Empire, and explores the wars and interactions of the Huns with the Roman Empire, and such peoples as the Franks, Burgundians, Allemani, Alans, Visigoths and Ostrogoths.
Attila the scourge of God.........2007-04-25
Attila the scourge of western civilization and icon for the barbarians is given a thoroughly enjoyable story as written by John Man. What we are told is palatable compared to the outragous legends and Christian dogma written about Attila. Attila did not have the vision of Ghengis Kahn and left his vast empire with no clear mandate after his sudden death. This books gives fascinating details on the probale origin of the Huns, the going ons of the Roman Empire at the time and the eventual decline of both the Huns and the Roman Empire. Also I found the explicit details on how the Huns fought to be fascinating.
More about the Huns and their times than Attila.......2007-01-24
With little information available, Man gives as informative a book as might be expected. Maybe 1/3 of it is about Attila, including what is known of his family, his headquarters, his entertainments and of course his battles.
While the history of Huns and the rise and fall of Attila are the themes of the book, the author presents this period of the Roman Empire in a very readable way. Last year I had read the Peter Heather book on Rome and the barbarians, and for description of Rome in this period, these two books complement each other nicely.
Rome, overly large and waning in ability to defend itself, hires Huns, pays ransom $ to Huns, bribes Huns and fights Huns. There are diplomats, an assassination attempt, competition and integration of other peoples and tribes and turning points. There are marriages, hostages and proposals. There scorched earth seizures and battles.
Man has interesting friends who share his passion for Hun history. The run museums from Mongolia to Hungary, dig up artifacts and study mounted bow hunting. He introduces us to them in diversionary parts of the narrative.
The best part for me, aside from the description of the Hun compound, was the summation at the end. Unlike Ghengis Khan, Attila had no long term vision and built no adminstrative structure. Nothing much really followed him. Man has some interesting phrases for experssing the ephemeral nature of it all. Attila created a bunch of "speed bumps" in the building of Europe and that his life was "a perfect balance of pluses and minuses, signifying nothing."
A chapter called "Aftermath" citing the numerous poems, paintings and songs that celebrate his image, however misinformed, has the best epiteph of all. Due to these cultural creations from the middle ages to Kipling and Wagner, his name resounds as an "archetype of a certain sort of power." Its really apt... "a certain sort of power."
No Great Revelations, Just Solid Biography.......2006-11-27
In this biography of the infamous Hun leader, little time is given to conjecture or speculative history. Just a solid, simple, traditional, and well-written biogrpahy is here. The author is an experienced communicator making the flow very pleasant. The history student interested more in the military aspects such as battle descriptions will wish for more maps of the individual battles and perhaps more detailed descriptions. But, for general history coverage and an enjoyable biographical sketch of a rather inigmatic character, this one would be hard to beat. A solid biography and great addition to the ancient history libary.
Book Description
In the fall of 1999, a team of Associated Press investigative reporters broke the news that U.S. troops had massacred a large group of South Korean civilians early in the Korean War. Their reports brought to light a story that had been surpressed for decades, confirming allegations the U.S. military had sought to dismiss. It made headlines around the world.Now the team tells the larger, human story behind the incident through the eyes of the people who survived it. The American side, the green recruits of the good time U.S. army in Japan, was made up of teenagers who viewed unarmed farmers as enemies and of generals who had never led men into battle. On the Korean side were peasant families forced to flee their ancestral village, caught between the invading North Koreans and the U.S. Army. Based on extensive archival research and more than 500 interviews with U.S. veterans and Korean survivors, The Bridge at No Gun Ri is an extraordinary account of the tragic events of July 1950, which the world should never forget.
Customer Reviews:
Publishers Weekly's comment pretty well nails it.......2007-01-20
From Publishers Weekly:
" ... This volume ... is correspondingly best understood as advocacy reportage, eschewing critical analysis ..."
The apparent inability on the authors' part to do any serious fact checking is almost jaw-dropping.
TRUTH BE TOLD.......2006-08-01
Just because people dont like the truth doesn't mean the truth is invalid. When people do the in-depth research themselves, they can then debunk or support, but not prematurely. The research for this book is impeccable and thus brought home the truth to me.
can anyone explain THIS to me?.......2006-06-04
Rightests present right/wrong as Absolutes in their paradigm of Judeo-Christian morality. How can individuals such as Mr Adams cling to the absolutist view of things then say (such as): "Well, the people on the other side did same or worse than we did"? (comparitive morality)
Wrongs done in the name of Right... are still WRONGS.
We must not molify, excuse, condone, ratify, or justify harm from one human being done to another conscious being.
human-on-human harm is Simply Indefensible.
plight of civilians during war.......2004-11-25
As a 65 year old woman who remembers the news over the radio in 1950 that we were at war with Korea, I was shocked to find that in all these many years since that time, I have never found any information that revealed the ineptness and ignorance of the US military in that campaign. I grew up thinking that might was right and that the US could not make mistakes.
Probably equally as interesting to me is the fact that we are now engaged in another war half way around the world and I have no doubt that similar things are happening. In 1950 military reports, the word "village" was replaced with "military target" and "excellent results" described the military opinion when entire bridges full of fleeing refugees were blown sky high.
The similarities are there in any war and if we don't know our history we are bound to repeat it. It makes me wonder who in the Pentagon or in the cabinet has read this or similar books that reveal incredible military faux pas of years past. Civilians suffer inevitably during war, but the I am amazed that Koreans could ever forgive our decisions. I visited Korea twice in 2004 before reading the book. How my perspective has changed after reading this account put together by three journalists AFTER military records were opened to the public in 1999.
This story cannot be dismissed........2004-01-19
Though, the follow up response by Major Robert Bateman did discredit several of the many witnesses that were part of the Associated Press' story, there are still many unfilled holes that are left unanswered by both accounts.
I have read both Bateman's and the AP accounts, as well as anything that I could get my hands on in regards to No Gun Ri, and the fact of the matter is that though they both dispute the numbers of dead, there is still the matter of the orders that were passed on (these were never even disputed in the Army official report on the No Gun Ri incident http://www.army.mil/nogunri/) to shoot civilians who were attempting to cross lines. Also, there have been numerous reports of similar incidents which occurred throughout the peninsular war similar to No Gun Ri perpetrated by US, ROK, and DPRK forces.
I lived in Korea for several years and actually visited the site under that bridge, and the fact is, the bullet holes are there (this was before the Korean Government had them cemented over in an attempt to stop further investigation in 1999) the people there believe it happened, regardless of numbers.
Bateman's book is thorough in its coverage and a must-read in regards to this incident, and the contrast which exists between the two books only shows that there is never really one rendition of history, that to understand events in our pasts is not to choose sides and to close our minds. They both give differing sides to one story, and the truth must lie somewhere in between.
There may be no real answer to the exact numbers of people who died under that bridge, but in the confusion of that war, only three years long, millions of civilians were killed. With scared, unprepared, under-lead, under-equipped young soldiers fighting tooth and nail for their very lives, with orders to fire on civilian refugees who were ubiquitous throughout the battlefield, many of those killed were a result of American fire.
Though this book has brought a lot of heat on American actions in the war, the fact is we should take it as an indictment of ¡°War¡± it self. It shows that when war is determined to be the method of resolving conflict, people make mistakes, people die, and often times the lives of ¡°others¡± of another race, come second to ones own.
Customer Reviews:
An amazing piece of historical fiction!.......2006-06-13
Costain has a real talent for putting a little bit of everything into his books... The Darkness and the Dawn is a prime example of this. It has daring escapes, battles, romance, horse races, and a court scene. This book also has a tyrant, an emperor, a princess, and a royal family. It's a book that should be counted among the classics...even though the author is far above them.
I encourage you to give this, and other Costain books a try. I think you'll be very surprised.
a superlative novel about attila the hun.......2000-06-15
the magic of this book does not depend on the plot but on the crisp dialogue , the tense succession of episodes , the kaleidoscopic change of scenes ! costain at his best - setting his scene with high competence and keeps his plot at the bubbling point to the end...
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