The Great
Upheaval
by Jay Winik
America and the birth
of the modern world 1788-1800
Winik's book is not for
sissies. It is 600 plus pages, and spans a 12 year stage with a regiment of players.
I thought of calling it less a book, more an education, but Winik has
sacrificed accuracy for artistic license and this disqualifies him from
academic acclaim. However, this in no way distracts from the pleasure that this
volume brings. John Ruskin said "Men were
not intended to work with the accuracy of tools, to be precise and perfect in
all their actions." And this applies to this book. His errors
to the average reader are unimportant. All he is guilty of is rounding up ages,
and being specific when specificity cannot be proved.
Not-with-standing the above, this
book will keep you riveted to the twilight years of the 18th century. It will
increase your knowledge of the champions of American independence, and introduce you to Europeans who tried to
emulate it, and those who tried to smother it.
The book oscillates between America,
Russia and France introducing the reader to the prominent figures of the time
in the most interesting detail. England has a 'walk-on' part and almost closes
the volume with its decimation of the French fleet at the battle of Aboukir Bay. Unfortunately the book ends at 1800 so we are
denied the drubbing Napoleon got at Trafalgar and Waterloo. At the end of this
book, Napoleon is still ahead on points.
There have been legitimate critics
of Winik's book on the grounds of inaccuracy, and that is to be regretted as if
reduces the work to a flawed masterpiece. I confess that it did not distract me
from enjoying the book one iota.
If you are interested in history,
and want to know how the American revolution influenced and incited rank and
file Europeans, then I recommend that you invest $19.77 ($12.33 paperback), in
this book - you will not regret it.
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