From the Trojan War to the split of the Catholic Church and the Reformation. From the shameful defeat of Britain in the American War of Independence to the no less shameful disaster that befell the United States in Vietnam. Could all this have been avoided? Much depends on the right or wrong decision of politicians , at times - even too much. So what makes those in power again and again make fatal mistakes, which often have monstrous consequences? Stupidity? Incompetence? Evil intent? Excessive ambition? Or something else? Barbara Tuchman, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, reflects in her interesting and fascinating book on the most famous fatal mistakes of politicians in the history of mankind...