Overview
A compelling and insightful argument for historical study as a way to understand and navigate the complex, often confusing world of decision-making It seems obvious that we should use history to improve policy. If we have a good understanding of the past, it should enable better decisions in the present, especially in the extraordinarily consequential worlds of statecraft and strategy. But how do we gain that knowledge? How should history be used? Sadly, it is rarely done well, and historians and decision-makers seldom interact. But in this remarkable book, Francis J. Gavin explains the many ways historical knowledge can help us understand and navigate the complex, often confusing world around us. Good historical work convincingly captures the challenges and complexities the decisionmaker faces. At its most useful, history is less a narrowly defined field of study than a practice, a mental awareness, a discernment, and a responsiveness to the past and how it unfolded into our present world—a discipline in the best sense of the word. Gavin demonstrates how a historical sensibility helps us to appreciate the unexpected; complicates our assumptions; makes the unfamiliar familiar and the familiar unfamiliar; and requires us, without entirely suspending moral judgment, to try to understand others on their own terms. This book is a powerful argument for thinking historically as a way for readers to apply wisdom in encountering what is foreign to them.
Reviews
“This is a remarkable and illuminating exploration of the value of an historical sensibility for policymakers, providing perspective and context, encouraging thoughts about causality and trends, and showing why it’s important to address the challenges of complexity, evidence, and bias.”—Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King’s College London “In today’s world, history is the daily weapon of national and international contests for power and authority. Frank Gavin shows how thinking historically can make a difference to statecraft and strategic decision-making. How do we not repeat the mistakes of the past? Here Gavin proves himself the best of allies for both IR and historical practitioners alike.”—Glenda Sluga, Professor of International History and Capitalism, European University Institute
“Gavin's writing is nuanced and compelling. It’s also fun. . . . Churchill would have loved Gavin’s book and would have encouraged aspiring statespeople to study it carefully.”—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune “I devoured this book, and consider it essential reading for every policymaker on the front lines of statecraft and strategy, and for every student who aspires to a career in national security.”—Jake Sullivan, former National Security Advisor “This is a remarkable and illuminating exploration of the value of an historical sensibility for policymakers, providing perspective and context, encouraging thoughts about causality and trends, and showing why it’s important to address the challenges of complexity, evidence, and bias.”—Lawrence Freedman, author of Strategy: A History “A superb book on a question of great and enduring importance: what is a ‘historical sensibility,’ and how can political leaders—and the rest of us—go about acquiring it? Frank Gavin is one of our leading authorities on the subject, and he shows it on every page of this essential study.”—Fredrik Logevall, author of JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956 “In today’s world, history is the daily weapon of national and international contests for power and authority. Frank Gavin shows how thinking historically can make a difference to statecraft and strategic decision-making. How do we not repeat the mistakes of the past? Here Gavin proves himself the best of allies for both IR and historical practitioners alike.”—Glenda Sluga, author of The Invention of International Order: Remaking Europe after Napoleon
Author Information
Francis J. Gavin is the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and the director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. His previous books include Gold, Dollars, and Power; Nuclear Weapons and American Grand Strategy; and The Taming of Scarcity and the Problems of Plenty.
