100 mistakes that changed history : backfires and blunders that collapsed empires, crashed economies, and altered the course of our world

327 Pages·2010·2.03 MB·English

by  Fawcett

Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Introduction

Chapter 1 - AMBITION
Chapter 2 - AHEAD OF HIS TIME
Chapter 3 - SHORTSIGHTED
Chapter 4 - MISPLACED TRUST
5 and 6 - AMBITION AND SUPERSTITION
Chapter 7 - COWARDICE
Chapter 8 - LACK OF PLANNING
Chapter 9 - SPLIT COMMAND
Chapter 10 - PRIDE
Chapter 11 - PERSONAL AMBITION
Chapter 12 - PLAYING TO THE ENEMY’S STRENGTHS
Chapter 13 - NO GOING BACK
Chapter 14 - GOTTA KNOW THE TERRITORY
Chapter 15 - THE HIGH COST OF THE EASIEST WAY
Chapter 16 - ... AND DENARII FOOLISH
Chapter 17 - OVERCONFIDENCE
Chapter 18 - TAKING THE EASY WAY
Chapter 19 - FIGHT YOUR OWN WARS
Chapter 20 - NOT-SO-FREE-FIRE ZONE
Chapter 21 - HIRING OUT HOME DEFENSE
Chapter 22 - BLIND OBEDIENCE
Chapter 23 - BAD PRIORITY
Chapter 24 - FOOLISH PROMISE
Chapter 25 - RUSH INTO BATTLE
Chapter 26 - SELF-INTEREST
Chapter 27 - SHORTSIGHTED
Chapter 28 - PRIDE
Chapter 29 - SUPERSTITION
Chapter 30 - STUBBORN PRIDE
Chapter 31 - FEAR OF SUCCESS
Chapter 32 - FALSE SAVINGS
Chapter 33 - SOME MISTAKES HAVE TURNED OUT WELL
Chapter 34 - OFF COURSE
Chapter 35 - BROKE THE RULES ONCE TOO OFTEN
Chapter 36 - SUPERSTITION
Chapter 37 - JUST INCREDIBLY BAD JUDGMENT
Chapter 38 - DEAD-END SCIENCE
Chapter 39 - ALL COURAGE AND NO PLAN
Chapter 40 - POOR PRIORITIES
Chapter 41 - FINANCED HIS OWN WORST NIGHTMARE
Chapter 42 - DESTROYING THE ENVIRONMENT
Chapter 43 - IMPATIENCE
Chapter 44 - TUNNEL VISION
45 and 46 - NOT LEARNING FROM HISTORY
Chapter 47 - EGO OVER SURVIVAL
Chapter 48 - PUTTING THE WRONG MAN IN THE WRONG PLACE
Chapter 49 - INVITING IN THE ANGLOS
Chapter 50 - DO NOTHING
Chapter 51 - STUBBORN
Chapter 52 - TECH FAILURE AND PANIC
Chapter 53 - GETTING CARRIED AWAY COSTS THE WAR
Chapter 54 - OVERCONFIDENCE
Chapter 55 - RACIAL BIGOTRY
Chapter 56 - AIDING THE ENEMY
Chapter 57 - EVERYONE LOSES
Chapter 58 - ONE WRONG TURN
Chapter 59 - TOO SUCCESSFUL A DEVIOUS PLAN
Chapter 60 - THINKING SHORT TERM
Chapter 61 - RIGHTEOUSNESS OVER REALITY
Chapter 62 - MEANINGLESS GESTURE
Chapter 63 - POLITICAL SCIENCE
Chapter 64 - AIDING THE ENEMY
Chapter 65 - A SLOB SAVES LIVES
Chapter 66 - DOING NOTHING
Chapter 67 - BAD BUSINESS
Chapter 68 - TASTY MISTAKE
Chapter 69 - FAILURE TO ACT
Chapter 70 - DEALING WITH THE DEVIL
Chapter 71 - HALFWAY RIGHT
Chapter 72 - STOPPING SHORT OF VICTORY
Chapter 73 - RENAISSANCE MAN
Chapter 74 - BLINDED BY REVENGE
Chapter 75 - NOT PREPARED
Chapter 76 - IGNORING A WARNING
Chapter 77 - SELF-DEFEATING VICTORY
Chapter 78 - SHORT-RANGE THINKING
Chapter 79 - NOT LEARNING FROM HISTORY
Chapter 80 - OBEYING ORDERS TO A FAULT
Chapter 81 - NO RETREAT
Chapter 82 - TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
Chapter 83 - OPINION OVER REALITY
Chapter 84 - THE HIGH PRICE OF RACISM
Chapter 85 - STUCK TO A BAD BARGAIN
Chapter 86 - MISQUOTED
Chapter 87 - EGO OVER WISDOM
Chapter 88 - DIRTY TRICK
Chapter 89 - MYTH OF THE DECISIVE BATTLE
Chapter 90 - MARKETING DISASTER
Chapter 91 - INDECISIVE LEADERSHIP
Chapter 92 - PUT UP WITH THIS MISTAKE
Chapter 93 - UNNEEDED RISK
Chapter 94 - INCOMPLETE RESEARCH
Chapter 95 - OPEN SAYS A ME
Chapter 96 - UNDERESTIMATING EVIL
Chapter 97 - STOPPING SHORT
Chapter 98 - BELIEVING THE WRONG PEOPLE
Chapter 99 - DESIGNED TO FAIL
Chapter 100 - THOSE WHO DO NOT STUDY HISTORY
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Copyright © 2010 by Bill Fawcett & Associates Inc.
Interior maps provided courtesy of the author. Maps created by James Clouse.

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PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley trade paperback edition / October 2010

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fawcett, Bill. 100 mistakes that changed history : backfires and blunders that collapsed empires, crashed
economies, and altered the course of our world / Bill Fawcett.
p. cm.
eISBN : 978-1-10144367-5
1. History—Miscellanea. 2. History—Errors, inventions, etc. I. Title. II. Title: One hundred mistakes that
changed history. D10.F—dc22 2010028546