The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman

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Any history lover knows that studying people, places, and times is not enough. We must explore the motivations behind human behavior in order to get a clear picture. This is what Barbara Tuchman does in "The March of Folly". Specifically, she discusses people of authority and the decisions they made that were directly against the interest of their governments and even their own self interest. The book is organized in chronological order and focuses on four major governments and the folly that led to their bad decisions. The writing itself is interesting, clear, and smooth. Barbara Tuchman is a superb writer. She makes learning about history very enjoyable. If your looking to pad your knowledge of history this is a great option.