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The summer the Archduke died : essays on wars and warriors
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2008
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Booklist Review
Inclined to consult Tolstoy when puzzling over the outbreak of World War I and to ponder Yeats when interpreting the subsequent carnage, Rubin brings to his historical essays an exceptionally literary perspective. That perspective clarifies the turbulent emotions that enveloped soldiers and poets when the great powers of Europe stumbled into cataclysmic conflict in 1914. Literary scholars will particularly value Rubin's analysis of how the horrors of the Great War shattered writers' faith in abiding verities and his assessment of the consequent literature of irony and fragmentation. But Rubin repeatedly ventures beyond literary criticism, manifesting exceptional understanding of naval weaponry and tactics, for instance, in weighing competing assertions about the Battle of Jutland and evincing impressive familiarity with political dynamics in challenging revisionist accounts of Churchill's dealings with Hitler. Some readers may wonder how the theme announced in the subtitle pertains to essays on the maddeningly arrogant Mitford sisters and the surprisingly radical Teddy Roosevelt. But readers will appreciate the penetrating intelligence that informs this essayist's work, regardless of his topic.--Christensen, Bryce Copyright 2008 Booklist
Summary
When World War II erupted, fifteen-year-old Louis Rubin pedaled his bike down to the Charleston harbor to see whether a German freighter might have come there to escape British warships, as had occurred in 1914. Although he went home disappointed, young Louis never lost his fascination with matters military. Now one of America's most esteemed literary scholars, Rubin again turns his thoughts to history--particularly military history--by sharing his lifelong interest in the First World War and its aftermath. The Summer the Archduke Died offers essays, beginning with the outbreak of the Great War in Europe in 1914 and covering events of subsequent years, that examine historical issues in a fresh way. These essays take in a panoramic view of German militarism, the American role in the war, and British and American politics and politicos. They convey the impact of the war on writers and include a critical review of Theodore Roosevelt's life and legacy. Rubin brings a keen eye for controversy to such matters as the battle of Jutland and Churchill's stance on the war with Hitler. In a provocative essay on the New British Revisionism, he not only debunks recent criticism of Churchill but also examines the decline of the British class system. In "Ladies of the British Establishment," he contrasts the politically notorious Mitford sisters with Violet Bonham Carter, who used her social position to advance the status of women in public life. Ranging from the outbreak of the Great War to "A Certain Day in 1939" when European peace was shattered once more, Rubin's lively pieces are rendered with the literary craftsmanship for which he is renowned. As informative as it is entertaining, The Summer the Archduke Died will appeal to aficionados of history and fine writing alike.
Table of Contents
Prefacep. ix
1A Certain Day in 1939p. 1
2The Summer the Archduke Diedp. 17
3"The Weasel's Twist, the Weasel's Tooth"p. 32
4High Tide at Jutlandp. 44
5Western Frontp. 64
6Literature and the Great Warp. 83
7T.R.p. 97
8Did Churchill "Ruin the Great Work of Time"?p. 116
9Ladies of the English Establishmentp. 133
Works Citedp. 153
Indexp. 159
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