Civilisation

Civilisation by Niall Furguson is a must for any fan of historical non-fiction titles. It's a very enoyable read (listen) and although I didn't necessarily agree with the author on all points it certainly was entertaining, something Niall Ferguson's narration adds to. This book is well worth the asking price - highly recommended.

2 people found this helpful

Challenging! Is the West in decline?

I really enjoyed this book, after seeing Niall Ferguson's TV series of the same name. If you want to hear him speak, I recommend his 2012 Reith lectures too (on the BBC website). Ferguson is nothing if not controversial, and the central question of the book "why did the West beat the rest?" is the very question posed (perhaps in different terms), by Jared Diamond in his classic book "Guns, Germs & Steel". Their answers are very different, and reflect perhaps the political Right and Left leanings respectively of Ferguson and Diamond. Ferguson's answer lies in his thesis of the 6 "killer apps" which the West perfected, and which he believes we may be in danger of losing our self-belief in. Thus, implicit to his enquiry is "is the West in decline?". It is a bold and interesting thesis, and Ferguson provides copious evidence in support of his "apps" being the midwives of any advanced civilisation with a progressive technology. However, whereas Diamond links cultural advance back to fundamental features of geography (East-West orientation, supporting the spread of cultural innovation), and biology (prevalence of species open to domestication), Fergusons "6 killer apps" thesis begs the question of why these should be the universal properties of an advanced civilisation. Could there be more than six, for instance? Answers on a postcard... Having said that it is an excellent book, made more so by the lively reading by Ferguson himself. He really enjoys reading the book - you can tell - and that enjoyment is infectious.

4 people found this helpful

Civilised?

An epic romp through the last 500 years, trying to explain why western civilisations somehow managed to turn the tables on the rest, which were apparently set to dominate at that time. Usual history books that cover this period (such as After Tamerlane: The Global History of Empire Since 1405) try to chart the clash and crash of empires, but here the author examines the processes that feed these incredibly complex 'organisms', and how the 6 "killer apps" he describes (science, medicine, work ethic, home ownership, rule of law and competition) gave the west the edge. I found his arguments and descriptions compelling as well as enjoyable and would thoroughly recommend this to lovers of history.

4 people found this helpful

Quite hard work

There are (these days) history books that romp along and build up a convincing story in your head. This one didn't quite achieve that for me; it started slipping into a list of events. Thus I found myself having to re-listen three of four times and force myself to concentrate. Mr Ferguson does try to make it easier by defining the 'killer apps' of Western civilisation, and then structuring the book around these killer apps, but the killer apps are not quite as clear-cut and illuminating as you might hope. Still, a good set of thoughts; I enjoyed the amount of time spent on clothes and the textile industry and the importance of consumer society to our modern civilisation.

Narration. Ferguson does a fine job on the general narration, but falls down on the (extended and numerous) quotations. They are all done in the same, slightly nasal, all-purpose 'foreign' accent, from Bolivia to Japan. Quite bizarre.

3 people found this helpful

Very entertaining, interesting and informative

Reviews of this book on Amazon are mixed but I have always liked Niall Ferguson's wwork so took the plunge. I am glad I did so. I thoroughly enjoyed the book - full of interesting facts and anecdotes, novel and thought-provoking ideas, global in scope and outlook, and very well written. I was genuinely sorry when it finished and I am sure I will read it again.

A real bonus is the excellent narration by the author himself. He was clearly enjoying himeself, does all the accents very entertainly, paces himself perfectly, and his enthusiasm and energy come through loud and clear. Tremendous stuff.

Strongly recommended, particularly if you like history.

3 people found this helpful

Ruined by voice overs

Storytelling ok but who thought that these crude characterizations were a good idea? The equivalent of re-enactment on tv that ruins the experience.

Great book.

If you have enjoyed his other books, you will enjoy this one. Very clear and well written.

Also, the narration is fantastic.

Well argued and well read

Not a lot more to say beyond the title of this review. Highly recommended book.

thought provoking

A must read for both sides of the colonial and imperialism debate. This work is significant in the questions it raises about western civilization and it's future. The only downside is that it seems to offer a very light treatment on the negative impact of colonialism and imperialism,
hence giving the impression in select chapters that the author sees more value in the two than negatives

interesting view on history

Very interesting and different perspective on history. Thought provoking but a lot of the interpretation of the facts I felt were bias towards the authours own views. Still enjoyed the book and would recommend.