The End of Everything
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4.4 • 28 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times–bestselling historian charts how and why societies from ancient Greece to the modern era chose to utterly destroy their foes, and warns that similar wars of obliteration are possible in our time
War can settle disputes, topple tyrants, and bend the trajectory of civilization—sometimes to the breaking point. From Troy to Hiroshima, moments when war has ended in utter annihilation have reverberated through the centuries, signaling the end of political systems, cultures, and epochs. Though much has changed over the millennia, human nature remains the same. Modern societies are not immune from the horror of a war of extinction.
In The End of Everything, military historian Victor Davis Hanson narrates a series of sieges and sackings that span the age of antiquity to the conquest of the New World to show how societies descend into barbarism and obliteration. In the stories of Thebes, Carthage, Constantinople, and Tenochtitlan, he depicts war’s drama, violence, and folly. Highlighting the naivete that plagued the vanquished and the wrath that justified mass slaughter, Hanson delivers a sobering call to contemporary readers to heed the lessons of obliteration lest we blunder into catastrophe once again.
Customer Reviews
A Gripping Page-Turner Relevant to Our Times
Victor Hanson's "The End of Everything" is nothing short of a masterpiece. From the very first page, I was completely gripped by his compelling storytelling and profound insights. Hanson has an incredible ability to weave complex historical events into an accessible and engaging narrative, making this book an absolute page-turner.
The book meticulously examines various instances throughout history when one civilization was annihilated by another. Hanson delves into significant historical events such as the fall of the Roman Empire, the destruction of the Aztecs by the Spanish, and the collapse of ancient Greek city-states. Each chapter is rich with detailed analysis and vivid descriptions that bring these pivotal moments to life, shedding light on the patterns and forces that led to the downfall of great civilizations.
The themes explored in "The End of Everything" are not only thought-provoking but also highly relevant to the current state of our world. Hanson tackles significant issues with a depth of understanding and clarity that is rare to find. Whether you're a seasoned historian or a newcomer to the subject, this book offers a fresh perspective that will keep you hooked until the very end.
I highly recommend "The End of Everything" to anyone looking for an enlightening and captivating read. It's a book that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
VDH at his best!
Great analysis of the most consequential annihilations in world history. Quite simply hard to put down!
Not Very Satisfying Content
Reader style leg me bored ! Content repetitive, going back and forth about the nature of brutal, murderous and evil leadership. A history of violence and war. History of ego centric, cultures and leadership, that doesn’t leave the listener with any valuable, learnable insight that you didn’t know already. The ambition of human destruction is demonic. It’s all like the days of sin and shame described much better in the Bible, “as the days of Noah.” What is in the heart of men led by hate, violence not love, self centered and self preserving ambition. The story of wicked and unlawful violence that forces its will on others. All undemocratic ambitions of empires reflect the depravity of the human heart. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Who can know the heart of man? It’s desperately wicked and are the works of the evil one and the father of lies. I didn’t feel this book offered much more than that. Just like today, history repeats and repeats itself. We don’t learn. It became tedious and boring as well as it’s easy to judge and we might lack insight. Plus the reader didn’t make it enjoyable, I’m sorry, it needed a more insightful tone. It’s a boring lecture in the end, for which I’m regret stating it but it’s how it left me and not worth $17.