Hubris: The Tragedy of War in the Twentieth Century

Sir Alistair Horne has been a close observer of war and history for more than fifty years. In this wise and masterly work, he revisits six battles of the past century and examines the strategies, leadership, preparation, and geopolitical goals of aggressors and defenders, to reveal the one trait that links them all: hubris. In Greek tragedy, hubris is excessive human pride that challenges the gods and ultimately leads to downfall. From the Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War to Hitler's 1940 invasion of Moscow to MacArthur's disastrous advance in Korea, Horne shows how each of these battles was won or lost due to excessive hubris on one side or the other.