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Thoughts on British book "All the Countries We've Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To"
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a425couple
Jun 17, 2021, 10:39:52 AM6/17/21
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view at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H5SOU1E/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
All the Countries We've Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To
Kindle Edition
by Stuart Laycock (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 248 ratings
Out of 193 countries that are currently UN member states, we've invaded
or fought conflicts in the territory of 171. That's not far off a
massive, jaw-dropping 90 per cent. Not too many Britons know that we
invaded Iran in the Second World War with the Soviets. You can be fairly
sure a lot more Iranians do. Or what about the time we arrived with
elephants to invade Ethiopia? Every summer, hordes of British tourists
now occupy Corfu and the other Ionian islands. Find out how we first
invaded them armed with cannon instead of camera and set up the United
States of the Ionian Islands. Think the Philippines have always been
outside our zone of influence? Think again. Read the surprising story of
our eighteenth-century occupation of Manila and how we demanded a ransom
of millions of dollars for the city. This book takes a look at some of
the truly awe-inspiring ways our country has been a force, for good and
for bad, right across the world. A lot of people are vaguely aware that
a quarter of the globe was once pink, but that's not even half the
story. We're a stroppy, dynamic, irrepressible nation and this is how we
changed the world, often when it didn't ask to be changed!
I picked this up cheap at a library surplus sale.
Sure glad it was very inexpensive!
Some critics call it "entertaining history", but
uhh often seemed almost as interesting as reading laundry list.
But,,,, several critics call it humorous.
I agree with a critic who said, "I don't think anyone could sit
and read this from cover to cover. It goes through each country
we 'invaded' alphabetically which is useful if you want to read
about a specific country but it tends get a bit boring and samey
after a while. Treat it as a reference book and it's ok."
Stuart Laycock also wrote "Britannia: The Failed State:
Ethnic Conflict and the End of Roman Britain Apr 1, 2008
Over at goodreads,
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18595518-all-the-countries-we-ve-ever-invaded
several critics really slam him. Average rating 3.71
Here are what 4 thought:
DN
I was inclined to give this book only 1 star, as the author's prose and
writing transitions are weak and his analysis shallow. Laycock has some
difficulty seeing the forest of British imperialism for the trees of
military history. But some of the trees are fascinating. Laycock
includes here some mildly amusing jokes, e.g. "Fighting in France and
Belgium [during WWI] was mostly a hugely grim experience, but at least
there weren't that many crocodiles around." He has an eye for memorable
names and ...more
JS
This wasn’t great, so I’ll keep this short - the book seems to
trivialise imperialism and is littered with bad jokes and in various
places suggests strange reasons for our invasions, including things like
weather.
Could be an interesting topic area to cover but obviously it is far too
broad to be covered in just over 200 pages and this book doesn’t do a
brilliant job.
JC
This is what my grandmother would probably call a "loo book".
mike
I had high hopes when I picked this up but failed to note that it's
simply an alphabetical list of countries. With no themes or grouping, it
is a mess of sequential continent-hopping that was entertaining in
places but ultimately tiring.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H5SOU1E/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
All the Countries We've Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To
Kindle Edition
by Stuart Laycock (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 248 ratings
Out of 193 countries that are currently UN member states, we've invaded
or fought conflicts in the territory of 171. That's not far off a
massive, jaw-dropping 90 per cent. Not too many Britons know that we
invaded Iran in the Second World War with the Soviets. You can be fairly
sure a lot more Iranians do. Or what about the time we arrived with
elephants to invade Ethiopia? Every summer, hordes of British tourists
now occupy Corfu and the other Ionian islands. Find out how we first
invaded them armed with cannon instead of camera and set up the United
States of the Ionian Islands. Think the Philippines have always been
outside our zone of influence? Think again. Read the surprising story of
our eighteenth-century occupation of Manila and how we demanded a ransom
of millions of dollars for the city. This book takes a look at some of
the truly awe-inspiring ways our country has been a force, for good and
for bad, right across the world. A lot of people are vaguely aware that
a quarter of the globe was once pink, but that's not even half the
story. We're a stroppy, dynamic, irrepressible nation and this is how we
changed the world, often when it didn't ask to be changed!
I picked this up cheap at a library surplus sale.
Sure glad it was very inexpensive!
Some critics call it "entertaining history", but
uhh often seemed almost as interesting as reading laundry list.
But,,,, several critics call it humorous.
I agree with a critic who said, "I don't think anyone could sit
and read this from cover to cover. It goes through each country
we 'invaded' alphabetically which is useful if you want to read
about a specific country but it tends get a bit boring and samey
after a while. Treat it as a reference book and it's ok."
Stuart Laycock also wrote "Britannia: The Failed State:
Ethnic Conflict and the End of Roman Britain Apr 1, 2008
Over at goodreads,
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18595518-all-the-countries-we-ve-ever-invaded
several critics really slam him. Average rating 3.71
Here are what 4 thought:
DN
I was inclined to give this book only 1 star, as the author's prose and
writing transitions are weak and his analysis shallow. Laycock has some
difficulty seeing the forest of British imperialism for the trees of
military history. But some of the trees are fascinating. Laycock
includes here some mildly amusing jokes, e.g. "Fighting in France and
Belgium [during WWI] was mostly a hugely grim experience, but at least
there weren't that many crocodiles around." He has an eye for memorable
names and ...more
JS
This wasn’t great, so I’ll keep this short - the book seems to
trivialise imperialism and is littered with bad jokes and in various
places suggests strange reasons for our invasions, including things like
weather.
Could be an interesting topic area to cover but obviously it is far too
broad to be covered in just over 200 pages and this book doesn’t do a
brilliant job.
JC
This is what my grandmother would probably call a "loo book".
mike
I had high hopes when I picked this up but failed to note that it's
simply an alphabetical list of countries. With no themes or grouping, it
is a mess of sequential continent-hopping that was entertaining in
places but ultimately tiring.
Keith Willshaw
Jun 18, 2021, 12:31:53 PM6/18/21
to
On 17/06/2021 15:39, a425couple wrote:
> view at
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H5SOU1E/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
>
>
> All the Countries We've Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To
> Kindle Edition
> by Stuart Laycock (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
> 4.4 out of 5 stars 248 ratings
>
> Out of 193 countries that are currently UN member states, we've invaded
> or fought conflicts in the territory of 171. That's not far off a
> massive, jaw-dropping 90 per cent.
In fact most of these invasions happened within the context of global
> view at
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H5SOU1E/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
>
>
> All the Countries We've Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To
> Kindle Edition
> by Stuart Laycock (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
> 4.4 out of 5 stars 248 ratings
>
> Out of 193 countries that are currently UN member states, we've invaded
> or fought conflicts in the territory of 171. That's not far off a
> massive, jaw-dropping 90 per cent.
wars and they were happening LONG before the 20th century. In the 17th
and 18th century there were wars that initially decided who would run
Europe but later escalated into global conflicts, there were struggles
for power between the two that saw major conflict in the Americas and
Asia and lower key clashes in Africa, Arabia and South America.
The Duke of Wellington learned his trade fighting the French and their
allies in India.
Jim Wilkins
Jun 18, 2021, 9:05:15 PM6/18/21
to
"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message news:saihpn$k7f$1...@dont-email.me...
------------------------
British and American battleships fought French battleships as recently as
WW2.
British and American battleships fought French battleships as recently as
WW2.
a425couple
Jun 18, 2021, 11:32:47 PM6/18/21
to
And if I recall correctly, there are fair number of
pictures around that show the damage a 16" shell
from the US BB Massachusests did to the French BB
Jean Bart. Wow!
https://www.google.com/search?q=Jean+Bart+with+shell+damage&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ALeKk00wO6NRbNxa6hL-x258E56bsaC5Yw%3A1624073458697&source=hp&biw=1920&bih=937&ei=8mTNYMK-J8Xb-gSGv574Cw&oq=Jean+Bart+with+shell+damage&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoCCAA6BggAEAUQHjoGCAAQCBAeOgQIABAYUKAYWOVYYJpcaABwAHgAgAG-AYgBkQmSAQQxOC4xmAEAoAECoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ved=0ahUKEwjC_92M4aLxAhXFrZ4KHYafB78Q4dUDCAc&uact=5
Jim Wilkins
Jun 19, 2021, 6:34:39 AM6/19/21
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