Product Description

From the wooden horse of Troy to the Gulf War, military history has been as much marked by chance and error, as by gallantry and heroism. Many conflicts have been decided by the caprice of weather, bad intelligence, heroism where it wasn't expected, or individual incompetence. In military terms, the incident which can swing a battle from victory to defeat in a moment is known as the Hinge Factor.

The Hinge Factor vividly describes battles which demonstrate this phenomenon - including the circumstances behind the loss of the Holy Cross, through to the attack of African war bees in 1914, to Star-War weaponry described in the Gulf War.

This enthralling book demystifies the general belief that battles are always won due to the brilliance of a general and will both inform and entertain a wide audience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #281056 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
What if it hadn't rained at Agincourt in 1415 and the French had, as expected, won the day? What if one of Napoleon's most trusted commanders had spiked Wellington's guns with a handful of nails at Waterloo in 1815, handing victory to his Emperor? What if Hitler hadn't paused for three vital days in his invasion of France in May 1940, allowing the British Expeditionary Force precious time to evacuate from Dunkirk? It is moments like these, argues Erik Durschmied, that provide The Hinge Factor in history: moments of stupidity, chance or accident that have irrevocably changed the outcome of human history, for better or for worse.

Drawing on his extensive experience as a war correspondent with the BBC and CBS, Durschmied's compelling book moves from ancient Troy and the Trojan Horse to Iraq and Operation Desert Storm, offering a persuasive and at times wry account of how chance affects the ways in which history unfolds. Recounting 17 key moments in the history of human conflict and warfare, The Hinge Factor is not just an amusing meditation on what might have been in history; it is also a poignant and vivid account of the brutality and stupidity that comes with war. More than just an account of accidents in history, this is a thoughtful and absorbing book. --Jerry Brotton

Review
'Durschmeid brings an eye for the telling detail.' The Independent 'His tales of mayhem and confusion can be gripping, informative and genuinely idea-provoking. He reveals again and again, the casual impact of happenstance.' The Independent 'This entertaining book considers the errors and incidents that have shaped the world as we know it rather than as we planned it might be.' The Times 'His vivid descriptions of battles explain all.' Choice, London 'Gripping, riveting. Fascinating. Even when you're sure you know what happened and whodunit, Erik Durschmeid provides another twist.' The Scotsman 'Erik Durschmeid's revelations are wholly captivating.' Manchester Evening News 'He does highlight some amazing truths and who can say he is wrong?' Cumberland Evening News & Star

About the Author
Erik Durschmied was born in Vienna in 1930. After World War 2 he emigrated to Canada. A television war correspondent for the BBC and CBS, Durschmied covered every major crisis, from Vietnam, Iran, Iraq, Belfast, Beirut, Chile, to Cuba and Afghanistan. Winner of numerous awards, Newsweek wrote 'Durschmied is a supremely gifted reporter who has transformed the media he works in.' And in Le Monde: 'He's survived more battles than any living general.' He lives in Paris and Provence with his family.

Customer Reviews

An interesting idea, but must try harder.
Let me lay my cards on the table, I brought this at the airport for a holiday read because the book seemed like a great way to redeem my inadequate knowledge of English and world history. Sadly although it is well meaning, the book is hardly as well executed as the disasterous schemes of those illuminates. I believe that Mr Durschmied's target audience is solely Mr Durschmied himself. I hated the diagrams at the beginning of each chapter, they were abysmal. One map to show a whole battle, with a black line depicting: the front line, any roads, a mountain range and a handful of rivers thrown in for good measure. Pretty poor. Don't get me started on extraneous footnotes in foreign languages. Why? So, good marks for knowledge and ideas, let down by presentation.

Inaccurate detail combined with a "tin ear" for dialogue
What a waste of a good idea! Examining human conflict over the last 1000 years from the point of view of both the commanders and the men on the ground combined with how small mistakes and oversights have changed history is a very worthwhile concept. I am sure that one day a classic book will be written on this subject, but this offering is nowhere near. The number of inaccuracies and simply incorrect details is staggering. Anyone with a passing interest and knowledge in, for example, the Battle of Waterloo, will find themselves in a parallel universe where the backgrounds, actions and characters of the key individuals have been distorted to the point of parody. Additionally, the author seems to me to have absolutely no talent for dialogue. At times the fictional conversations read as though they have been translated from a language such as, for example, Roumanian by a devotee of Errol Flynn films (no offence intended to Roumanians or Errol Flynn fans). A real shame that such a good concept has been let down by such sloppy research and such poor writing.

There are better things out there than this
There are at least a couple of books which are collections of papers discussing key moments and how they could have gone the other way called "what if..." Buy those- they are well written by people who obviously know what they are talking about.

This may have picked some very interesting moments in history but the writing is patronising and there are enough mistakes to make you wonder if bigger points have been missed. I rarely give away my history books I cherish them as little doors to different and interesting worlds- I gave this to my local charity shop after finishing.

People seem to be defending this on quite a personal level which I don't understand. Putting it simply if you like this type of way of looking at history there are better books out there for the same money.