The March of Folly - From Troy to Vietnam by Tuchman, Barbara W - 1985

New York: Ballantine Books. Very Good- with no dust jacket. 1985. Trade Paperback. 0394527771 . xvi + 447 pp, index, reference notes, 37 color and b/w illustrations. Spine slightly slanted/creased, minor edgewear/bumping, Text starting to yellow, but clean and unmarked.

"Surveying the vast spectrum of our recorded past, Barbara Tuchman now traces and explores one of the most compelling paradoxes of history: the recurring pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests. Through a wide range of historical examples in which this paradox has been manifest, Mrs. Tuchman distinguishes folly from other types of misgovernment and identifies its hallmark: The self-destructive act carried out despite the availability of a recognized and feasible alternative.
"The then brilliantly illuminates - in a narrative that makes real for us the people, places, events, and issues of each era - four decisive turning points in history: The Trojan War, 'The Renaissance Popes Provoke the Protestant Secession', 'The British Lose America', and 'America Betrays Herself in Vietnam.'; 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall .