- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Pier 9, Murdoch Books; 2008 Publication edition (15 Sep 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1741960428
- ISBN-13: 978-1741960426
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 18.8 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 374,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
When two supremely powerful political rivals lock horns in a clash of personality and ideology, they can change the course of human history. Great Rivals in History brings to life the drama of historys most vicious political and military feuds, ranging through centuries and across the globe. Rivalries have sparked some of the most dramatic episodes in the history of the world, and twenty-five of these are recreated here, among them the lethal feud between ruthless power-seeker Julius Caesar and populist politician Gnaeus Pompey; the dynastic and religious clash of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scots; the differing visions of nationhood that polarized Chiang Kai-Shek and Mao Zedong; and the bitter antagonism of John F. Kennedy and Richard, estranged friends wrenched apart by ambition and party loyalties. Impeccably researched and utterly compelling, this book profiles a remarkable cast of implacable foes, and reveals how their tug-of-war over ultimate power and glory shaped the wider history of the world. Key points: a different and intriguing way to look at history: big personalities behind great leaders in important situations; twenty-five stories that changed the course of history; a general history with clout and importance, this is the perfect gift for history buffs of all stripes; a clever combination of politics, psychology and history.
About the Author
Joseph Cummins is the author of Historys Great Untold Stories, Historys Greatest Hits and Turn Around and Run Like Hell (Murdoch Books), as well as Anything for a Vote: A History of Dirty Tricks and October Surprises in Americas Presidential Elections (Quirk). He has also edited two anthologies for Lyons Press, Cannibals: Shocking True Stories of the Last Taboo on Land and at Sea (2002) and The Greatest Search and Rescue Stories Ever Told (2001), and written a novel called The Snow Train (Akashic Books, 2001). He lives in Maplewood, New Jersey.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
I rather enjoyed Joseph Cummins "Great Rivals in History: When Politics Gets Personal" as it takes a bit of a different approach to history. Cummins takes on 24 pairs of individuals who were either at cross-purposes or competing for the same goal. Some of them were friends before becoming competitors, some were family, many were natural foes, but quite a few should have been allies but for their own personal ambitions.
Each chapter of this book takes on one pair of historical figures that in some way were rivals, whether for world domination, as is the case with Alexander the Great and King Darius III; political power, as is the case with Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone; or perhaps for History, such as George S. Patton and Bernard Law Montgomery. These rivals may be trying to achieve victory for their countries and themselves, such as Charles XII of Sweden and Peter the Great of Russia, or for power within the same country, such as John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon.
The discussions of these 24 rivalries are arranged pretty much in chronological order, though certainly some of them overlap significantly, especially in those from the 20th century. These discussions are summaries of these contests contain both a brief history of the events for which they are known, but also partial biographies of the two competitors. By no means are these intended to be complete discussions of any of these topics or of the participants. Rather it serves as an introduction which whet's the appetite for deeper study. One could use this as an overview for those who don't have the time or interest to delve deeper into these events, but I wouldn't recommend it as they are a bit sparse for that.
This book is very readable and enjoyable, and I do recommend it. I do wish it were a bit more comprehensive in many areas, and I was a bit disappointed in the bibliography which does not contain as many references as I would like, and in fact there are fewer references than there are rivals under discussion. This book rates near 3½ stars from me, but I am rounding down to 3 stars.
Each chapter of this book takes on one pair of historical figures that in some way were rivals, whether for world domination, as is the case with Alexander the Great and King Darius III; political power, as is the case with Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone; or perhaps for History, such as George S. Patton and Bernard Law Montgomery. These rivals may be trying to achieve victory for their countries and themselves, such as Charles XII of Sweden and Peter the Great of Russia, or for power within the same country, such as John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon.
The discussions of these 24 rivalries are arranged pretty much in chronological order, though certainly some of them overlap significantly, especially in those from the 20th century. These discussions are summaries of these contests contain both a brief history of the events for which they are known, but also partial biographies of the two competitors. By no means are these intended to be complete discussions of any of these topics or of the participants. Rather it serves as an introduction which whet's the appetite for deeper study. One could use this as an overview for those who don't have the time or interest to delve deeper into these events, but I wouldn't recommend it as they are a bit sparse for that.
This book is very readable and enjoyable, and I do recommend it. I do wish it were a bit more comprehensive in many areas, and I was a bit disappointed in the bibliography which does not contain as many references as I would like, and in fact there are fewer references than there are rivals under discussion. This book rates near 3½ stars from me, but I am rounding down to 3 stars.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Interesting but of necessity somewhat sketchy
17 May 2010
Format:Paperback
This book recounts 24 great rivalries of history, from Alexander the Great versus Darius III of Persia, to John Kennedy versus Richard Nixon. The above examples show that some of the rivalries were military in nature and others political. With 24 rivalries covered in only 353 pages of text, the average spent on each is only 12-15 pages, minus numerous paintings and photographs, many of which are full-page. Thus, these 24 rivalries can only be covered in a very cursory manner. In addition to the main text there are numerous side bar inclusions, such as the evidence for and against the existence Carthaginian infant sacrifice, influence of the death of Alexander Hamilton's son Peter in a duel on Hamilton's duel with Aaron Burr, or the "wives" of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. Some fill-page topics, not directly germane to the rivalry are also included, such as, the Templars and the Curse of Jacques De Molay, the mystery of Napoleon's Death, and Richard Nixon's Checkers Speech.
I liked the book, but the sketchy nature of each section prevents me from giving it 5 stars. I learned very little from those sections where I had a reasonable familiarity with the overall history, but I did learn a lot from other sections where I had a greater lack of knowledge. Where I knew the history I could see how the story was greatly simplified, so I when I read the others I had to assume that the same was also the case. Given that less than 15 pages of text was allotted to each chapter, such simplification was unavoidable. This sort of book is most successful if it causes the reader to seek out a more complete version of the events that are covered and in this regard the book succeeded.
I liked the book, but the sketchy nature of each section prevents me from giving it 5 stars. I learned very little from those sections where I had a reasonable familiarity with the overall history, but I did learn a lot from other sections where I had a greater lack of knowledge. Where I knew the history I could see how the story was greatly simplified, so I when I read the others I had to assume that the same was also the case. Given that less than 15 pages of text was allotted to each chapter, such simplification was unavoidable. This sort of book is most successful if it causes the reader to seek out a more complete version of the events that are covered and in this regard the book succeeded.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Adversaries and Rivals
10 Aug 2011
Format:Paperback
I rather enjoyed Joseph Cummins "Great Rivals in History: When Politics Gets Personal" as it takes a bit of a different approach to history. Cummins takes on 24 pairs of individuals who were either at cross-purposes or competing for the same goal. Some of them were friends before becoming competitors, some were family, many were natural foes, but quite a few should have been allies but for their own personal ambitions.
Each chapter of this book takes on one pair of historical figures that in some way were rivals, whether for world domination, as is the case with Alexander the Great and King Darius III; political power, as is the case with Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone; or perhaps for History, such as George S. Patton and Bernard Law Montgomery. These rivals may be trying to achieve victory for their countries and themselves, such as Charles XII of Sweden and Peter the Great of Russia, or for power within the same country, such as John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon.
The discussions of these 24 rivalries are arranged pretty much in chronological order, though certainly some of them overlap significantly, especially in those from the 20th century. These discussions are summaries of these contests contain both a brief history of the events for which they are known, but also partial biographies of the two competitors. By no means are these intended to be complete discussions of any of these topics or of the participants. Rather it serves as an introduction which whet's the appetite for deeper study. One could use this as an overview for those who don't have the time or interest to delve deeper into these events, but I wouldn't recommend it as they are a bit sparse for that.
This book is very readable and enjoyable, and I do recommend it. I do wish it were a bit more comprehensive in many areas, and I was a bit disappointed in the bibliography which does not contain as many references as I would like, and in fact there are fewer references than there are rivals under discussion. This book rates near 3½ stars from me, but I am rounding down to 3 stars.
Each chapter of this book takes on one pair of historical figures that in some way were rivals, whether for world domination, as is the case with Alexander the Great and King Darius III; political power, as is the case with Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone; or perhaps for History, such as George S. Patton and Bernard Law Montgomery. These rivals may be trying to achieve victory for their countries and themselves, such as Charles XII of Sweden and Peter the Great of Russia, or for power within the same country, such as John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon.
The discussions of these 24 rivalries are arranged pretty much in chronological order, though certainly some of them overlap significantly, especially in those from the 20th century. These discussions are summaries of these contests contain both a brief history of the events for which they are known, but also partial biographies of the two competitors. By no means are these intended to be complete discussions of any of these topics or of the participants. Rather it serves as an introduction which whet's the appetite for deeper study. One could use this as an overview for those who don't have the time or interest to delve deeper into these events, but I wouldn't recommend it as they are a bit sparse for that.
This book is very readable and enjoyable, and I do recommend it. I do wish it were a bit more comprehensive in many areas, and I was a bit disappointed in the bibliography which does not contain as many references as I would like, and in fact there are fewer references than there are rivals under discussion. This book rates near 3½ stars from me, but I am rounding down to 3 stars.
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