Not the originals, of course, but a student budget version. I read them. Very, very carefully.
Volume 5 is particularly interesting. It begins thusly:
While the state was exhausted by the Persian war, and the church was distracted... Mahomet, with the sword in one hand and the Koran in the other, erected his throne on the ruins of Christianity and of Rome.
The genius of the Arabian prophet, the manners of his nation, and the spirit of his religion, involve the causes of the decline and fall of the Eastern empire; and our eyes are curiously intent on one of the most memorable revolutions, which have impressed a new and lasting character on the nations of the globe.
You don't have to overload your UPS man or short out the Kindle in order to glean the benefits of Gibbons' insights. Read the text online. It is most fascinating.
10 comments:
I read Gibbons over forty years ago while I was in high school. That was before people spoke of nerds. I believe we used the term egghead instead.
I was never smart enough to be an egghead, but I suppose I tried to act like one. So I acquired all the disadvantages and none of the advantages. To remind me of my limitations, my siblings thoughtfully demoted me to know-it-all (meaning that I should shut up and listen more).
Anyway, I had forgotten that Gibbons continued on to Mohammed and his conquests. Thanks for reminder.
Tom, it's good to see a fellow Prince Willian (forgive the neologism!) in the threads!
One thing we as a culture seem to have forgotten: Past is prologue.
When Rome fell, many factors came into play. Among them were weak borders and a self-indulgent ruling class. The Mohammedans were highly motivated and aggressive.
Hmmmmm....
This scares the hell out of me.
Denise, don't be scared - be steadfast!
i totally agree we should learn (more) from history. but i'm curious ... in current times who do you feel most falls under the designation of "self-indulgent ruling class";
-the proletarian masses
-the very wealthy*
-politians
- large corporations (as opposed to small business), or,
-someone else all together (please specify)?
thanks!
(*fwiw, i tend to draw the "very wealthy" line at ~$1M/year. this is because US small businesses pay taxes at individual rates. i feel that the current proposed cut-off at $250K is too low to carry most small businesses through serious economic downturns.)
The example of how to avoid the turmoils and tribulations of today have always been there, all we had to do was read and heed...
Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.
Michelle, I am going to draw the line at people whose lifestyles are such that they compete among themselves for economic-social status. This includes everyone from middle class families who buy new BMWs for their 16 year olds on up the line to decadent politicos and super-compensated corporate execs. Excess self indulgence breeds weakness.
Texas Fred, I believe a version of your words are carved on the stone facade outside the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Apparently our leaders have not read it while entering the building to attend functions and soirees.
More recently, I would recommend the following book for focused insight into the ME form of Islam:
THE CLOSED CIRCLE, by David Pryce-Jones.
Current Western nations -- ours in particular -- seems to learn nothing from history. Our politicians fail to see that Europe is beginning to eschew Multi-Kulti and Socialism.
Our current load of GOWPs wish to embrace it, desperately.
BZ
susan...agreed. good call on the BMWs for 16-year olds. it gave me a new perspective. i hadn't actually thought of it in any sort of granular sense. thanks. :-)
BZ, that is an excellent recommendation. I also would add to the reading list the works of Daniel Pipes. He has been warning for years about our ignorance in the face of overwhelming truth.
Michelle, thank you - and thank you for raising an important question. Please come back again and add your keen mind to the discourse!
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