Chamberlin covers a roughly 50 year time period and several regions of the world to point out the violence of the Cold War. “Between the end of World War II and 1990 more than 20 million people died in violent conflicts. Broken down that means that an average of more than 1,200 people died in wars of one type or another everyday for 45 years. Most of them were civilians.”
Chamberlin covers the history of conflicts in Southeast Asia and the Middle East and states:
“This book argues that this violence was not simply an accidental consequence of local wars or super power meddling rather massacres such as My Lai were integral components of the Cold War world.”
The scope of this book is broad so only a superficial glance at each of the areas covered is given. However the book provides a valuable overview about the conflicts that occurred during the Cold War and the role the United States and the Communist Countries played. It pays little attention to uprisings like 1956 in Hungary and 1968 in Czechoslovakia against communist rule. It also is lacking in information on Cuba and South America.
The book will leave the reader with a greater understanding of the wars in Asia and the Middle East between 1945 and 1990.
Overall I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
In 1781, London’s Inner Temple was one of England’s four Inns of Court, institutions responsible for admitting and training barristers. Situated near the River Thames, between Fleet Street and the river, the Inner Temple had been associated with the English legal profession for centuries.
Its origins date to the medieval period, when the Knights Templar occupied land in this part of London. Following the dissolution of the order in the early fourteenth century, the area gradually developed into a center of legal education and professional activity.
By the eighteenth century, the Inner Temple was an established community of barristers, legal students, and experienced members of the profession. Its grounds contained chambers where lawyers could work, residential accommodations, a hall for communal dining, and the historic Temple Church.
For an ambitious young man, admission to the Inner Temple represented an opportunity to enter a respected profession. Students studied legal texts, observed court proceedings, and developed ...
“You’ve been at Doctor Manette’s house as much as I have, or more than I have. Why, I have been ashamed of your moroseness there! Your manners have been of that silent and sullen and hangdog kind, that, upon my life and soul, I have been ashamed of you, Sydney!”
