I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because it reflected political, economic and technological changes / revolutions that have occurred in the past century. At the end of the day I found myself consumed by the book and wanting to read beyond what my eyes would allow me to do (late night reading!)

The book, at 352 pages, is deceptively small since each page is not a 6.72 x 5.58 in dimension. However, I spent a good 12-14 hours reading the book to completion as the book doesn't present pictures and tables as "filler."

If you want to learn about the most recent century this is a good book for you to read. If you want to read some good history books predating the 20th century I highly recommend 2 of Isaac Asimov's books, Chronology of the World and Chronology of Science and Discovery.

Some of the events mentioned in this book, just for reference are:

•Hitler and Germany
•Mao and his revolutions in China
•Technological innovations such as air conditioning which have caused huge changes to population movements and building construction.
•The discovery of penicillin.
•The invention of plastic.
•McNamara & The Diner's club - the first credit card.
•Cuban Missile Crisis
•Martin Luther King
•Woodstock

Anyways, I enjoyed the book but nothing presented changed my paradigm or the way I look at the world so I give it 4 stars out of 5. The book was truly interesting for those who simply want to get a better grasp of what an amazing century it truly was. Think about this...The automobile, plane and highway system weren't around before this century. Just think about the implications that those 3 items have had on your life and business as we know it, on a country and global basis.

What do Leo Hendrik Baekeland, Frank X McNamara and George Kennan have in common? Along with Hitler, Stalin and Mao they have been some of the most influential people of the twentieth century. Leo, Frank and George win mentions in this book, subtitled '200 Events That Shaped the World'. Another thing they have in common is their nationality. The twentieth century has been the American age, and it's hardly surprising that of the two hundred events chosen for this book two-thirds either happened in the United States or were influenced by Americans. Baekeland gets in because he invented modern plastic. An organic chemist who was trying to clean the gunk off his chemical equipment in 1909, he called his new material Bakelite, but the name didn't stick. McNamara introduced the credit card in 1950 when he established the Diner's Club - so called because he persuaded New York restaurants to participate in the scheme. Kennan was a diplomat who published an influential essay in 1947, proposing to 'contain' Communism - the term was to become a description of US foreign policy for the next forty years. Few would argue these three events should rank high in a list of important events of the past hundred years. But there are other incidents that make it into this book, and this is what makes it an engaging and fun publication - arguing why the Battle of Stalingrad should have been included, for example, at the expense of '400,000 Gather for the Woodstock Festival in Upstate New York' in 1969. Even though only 1500 people died, the authors include the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. They recognise the profound effect it had - and continues to hold - on the world: "...many saw an immense cautionary tale in the loss of this proud ship...as if the impersonal forces of nature had conspired to deflate the technological arrogance of modern civilisation, declaring that the struggle between humankind and the elements had hardly been resolved..." More contentious is including the US Congress enacting the G.I. Bill in 1944. The authors argue it was vital in kicking off a postwar boom in housing, birthrate and prosperity in America, thus helping the country to become the biggest economy in the world. And what about Louis Armstrong recording 'West End Blues' in 1928? It's asserted that jazz is this century's most significant form of popular musical expression, and America's foremost cultural gift to the world. As this book confirms, it has been America's century. But is the USA in decline? One can't help wondering after inspecting the contents of this book by decade. Since 1980 eight American events are listed, and none of them are heartening: the appearance of crack cocaine, an American pesticide plant in India causes widespread death, a huge bomb explodes in Oklahoma City. Even Desert Storm has turned out to be a dubious victory. Generally the content of the chapters is well-written and informative, and in places perceptive: discussing McNamara's credit card, the authors write: "...credit cards are the plastic keys to a vast economic system - but if the key admits the bearer into the system, it also admits the system into the cardholder's life...with each swipe of the plastic, the cardholder simultaneously exercises and relinquishes a certain amount of freedom." Australia receives a grand total of one mention in this book, and it's only by defualt: Raymond Dart, the anthropologist who discovered the fossil remains of Australopithecus, was originally born in Australia. We have had a miniscule amount of influence in shaping this century - which, when you consider concentration camps, terrorism and pollution of the earth, is no bad thing.

The writers give what they believe to be the 200 most significant events from American history. They give a summary of the event followed by a brief description of how that event fits in with the broader context of American history.

For the most part, they have chosen and written well. While not scholarly, their analyses appear both sound and well thought out. I say appear, because toward the end of the book, when they arrive at incidents which the adult reader will have lived through and will recall well, they miss the mark more often than they hit it. It makes one wonder if their description and analysis of the more distant events might not be skewed as well.

When the book is read with the realization that the authors write from a particular socio-political agenda, then the thoughtful reader can sift their views through the filter of healthy skepticism. Read in this manner, the book is informative, entertaining, and thought provoking.

Excellent book for learning about American History without getting too invovled in each event. If you are familiar with the subject the book is organized in a manner to which you can easily skip it and go on to the next event. Each passage is only about 2-3 paragraphs.

For someone who enjoys history, this is the perfect book to carry along when you may have short (or long) periods of time to kill. For someone not fascinated by historic events, this is a good, painless way to gain a grasp of history's effect on the present. Presented in small doses, it's very interesting, readable, and portable.

An excellent book on the Civil War, however there is one major disappointment. Mr. Axelrod's coverage on the Vicksburg Campaign is most disappointing. He barely brushed on the fact in his rush to concentrate on the Eastern Theater, mainly Chancellorville and Gettysburg. He failed to mention Benjamin Grierson's Raid through Mississippi, the fact that Grant fought and won five battles to reach the eastern city limits of Vicksburg and that during the siege, he beseiged the city and at the same time, kept Gen. Joe Johnston at bay. Nor did Mr. Axelrod mention the fact that Sherman's March Through Georgia was based on Grant's Vicksburg Campaign.

This book is a terrific starting point for those that are "idiots" and for those who aren't to learn basic information on the Civil War. It's an easy-to-read and fun book, typical of most Idiot's Guides. Of course if you want more in depth knowledge of the Civil War, you'll have to do more research but this is a great way to start.

This book really helped me out for my history project on the Civil War. The book had really great details about important battles, etc. in the Civil War. I highly reccomend it.

This book is a very quick read and is set up exactly as the title says. It's 201, numbered paragraphs, each with a little insight into how to deal with "those people." The sections are informative and helpful. I would definitely recommend reading this book before trying to get transferred away from the difficult person in your life.

A friend of mine had this book and loved it. She showed it to me and I loved it as well and had to buy it! In college every little bit of help is great. This is an easy to follow helpful book. To any psychology student out there get this book!

This book is great for anyone studying econ. It works as a great supplement to any teaching course as well as a functional refresher.

The Introduction gives a short history of spying in America. The Civil War spies were amateurs from other varied backgrounds, just like the soldiers. Chapter 1 tells the story about President-elect Lincoln's secret journey to Washington. Chapter 2 tells of William A. Lloyd, a businessman who traveled to the South with his wife and maid. His information was passed to his courier Thomas H. S. Boyd for delivery to Washington. Boyd often used released prisoners to carry back his information. Chapter 3 tells of Rose Greenhow's spying in Washington, where she was the intimate friend of the Senator from Massachusetts. Her reports were corroborated by the news in Northern newspapers. Page 66 tells of the prewar partnership between William P. Wood and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton! The activities of Belle Boyd sound like a work of fiction if they weren't known as fact (Chapter 4). Chapter 5 tells of Confederate spies. Pinkerton's men were told to look at a man's shoes. Northerners wore the new style of different shoes for left and right feet, southerners wore the old style with the same shoe for either foot. The Confederates' early successes were due in part to better intelligence (p.92). Thomas N. Conrad led a colorful life as a Confederate spy. His haircut and mustache configuration (p.95) suggests he acted as a false double, and was involved in the Booth plot.

Chapter 6 tells of other Union spies, such as the talented Timothy Webster, Pinkerton agent (pp.125-130). Were his real exploits greater than the fictional James Bond? But Webster's luck changed after he was laid up with rheumatism. Chapter 8 tells of Benjamin F. Stringfellow, another colorful Confederate spy who had an interesting career. Chapter 9 tells of the Secret Services. By early 1863 the Union's intelligence was now better than the Confederates'. Gettysburg was a Union victory, not a draw. Chapter 10 tells of Lafayette C. Baker and his work in counter-intelligence. Chapter 11 tells of counter-intelligence in Europe, and the Trent Affair. Page 208 explains diplomatic appointments then; would today's news media report this?

Chapter 12 tells of the "Northwest Conspiracy". The bankers and merchants of New York City were the economic partners of the Southern cotton planters; profit was more important than the principle of Union (p.211). There were uprisings against the Conscription Act, the worst was the Draft Riots in July 1863. Opponents of the war wore the head of Liberty from a penny; hence the name "Copperheads". Chapter 13 tells of the attempts to raise an insurrection from Copperheads and Confederate agents and prisoners; it failed (pp.235-7). The raid on St. Albans VT was a success. Pages 247-250 tells of the attempt to burn Manhattan. Chapter 14 tells of the attempt to raid Richmond and free the Union prisoners. Colonel Dahlgren was killed, and his orders to kill Jeff Davis and his Cabinet were published. The US Government denied this as a fabrication or forgery. This angered many Southerners, and may have inspired John Wilkes Booth's fatal attack. Lincoln believed he would not be assassinated because the assassin would in turn die. No government would order such a thing, and only a madman would do it (p.273). The rest of this chapter discusses the conspiracy, and the capture of JW Booth.

The last 9 pages of Sources list many books as reference.

I'm going to have to agree with some of the other reviewers, who have said that the thing that keeps this from being a fantastic book, is the lack of maps.

My suggestion: Get the book, but get a WWI-era atlas to accompany it! Some of the countries involved in WWI aren't even in existence anymore, and the book makes a lot more sense if you can picture the different countries discusses.

With that said, I do recommend this book for anyone wanting an overview of the War. Another word of caution, though: This book doesn't read quite as easily as some of the other "Idiot's Guides." It's written at a slightly higher level, so takes a little longer to get through.

It covers the entire time period from the pre-War era and the causes of the War, to the Treaty of Versailles and the post-War activities that actually lead up to WWII. Lots of biographical sketches and pithy quotes contribute to a well-rounded overview.

This book tackles this broad subject well. It is said that World War I is not a "popular" war to study because it's simply too complicated. This book helps straighten out the confusion and does a good job of addressing the different facets of this war. This is a good book to start with; it can help readers decide which avenue they want to study further (e.g. Pershing, weapondry, aerial, etc.)

Don't think you are an idiot if World War One confuses you at times. Any war where the Allies are the Entente and the Alliance is the "bad guys" is bound to be confusing. The details on the buildup to war, political and military, are patient and easily read. The day-to-day fighting is also well told, and then the all-important end of the war and its subsequent treaty are also well done. The post-war aspects are especially thorough, laying the stage for World War II. This owuld be useful for anyone who needs a handbook on the way Wordl War I came about and was fought.

There has been such a glut of books teaching management and leadership lessons from historical figures and spiritual traditions (Attila, the Tao, Machiavelli, etc.) you'd think the market would be saturated by now. Apparently not, for they keep coming. As far as this kind of book goes, Elizabeth l CEO isn't bad. Of course, the theory's premise is basically contrived. While we can draw analogies between 16th Century politics and 21st Century business, the two environments are fundamentally different. For example, one subject Alan Axelrod often refers to in Elizabeth l (he has the unfortunate habit of repeating the same points many times) is Elizabeth's struggle to enforce religious conformity in England. Elizabeth was a devout Protestant in a nation where Catholics still had a strong influence. How exactly does this translate into a modern business context? The fact is, it doesn't. There is nothing in the business world that even remotely resembles Medieval/Renaissance religious orthodoxy. Only someone who takes management platitudes such as the "vision" of a business could fail to realize this. Visions aside, corporations all have the same goal --profit. They are essentially amoral. Any attempt to indoctrinate employees of a corporation with something akin to religious fervor would be absurd (this isn't to say that such efforts are not made by overzealous CEOs and managers). Despite these serious objections, I still enjoyed Elizabeth l CEO and found some worthwhile lessons in it (though not necessarily in the realm of business). Axelrod does a good job of presenting history in an informative and entertaining manner. He effectively portrays Elizabeth as a powerful and innovative leader who kept her many virtues --intelligence, courage, frugality, pragmatism-- in balance. I suspect, however, that the realms of politics and business are both far too complex to be mastered by any simple set of principles. The audiobook version is narrated by Nelson Runger, who does a fine job of presenting the book.

A huge proportion of Chief Executive Officers has no clue about how to deliver effective leadership. There is a vital need today for strong, deliberate leadership in organizations today. We can learn lessons from history, such as what this book offers from the leadership of Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen of England.

This book is a leadership book, with illustrations from the 45-year reign of Elizabeth I over 400 years ago. Queen Elizabeth inherited a realm-a corporation-that was in horrible shape. Turnaround time. The leadership she applied carefully and deliberately moved the country from a dysfunctional feudal condition to be one of the most powerful and influential countries in the world.

After an introduction to conditions at the time, Axelrod presents 136 leadership principles, each illustrated with strategies and behaviors from Elizabeth's experience. An interesting historical treatise is interwoven with leadership lessons. The author, in illustrating his principles, uses examples from the Elizabethan period, but not in chronological order. This approach makes the book a bit difficult to follow historically, but that's not the purpose of the book. An appendix provides a timeline of the period for those interested in that aspect of the topic. An index enhances the value of the work, as well.

Each of the lessons stands alone, creating occasional redundancy and repetition. It's noticeable in places, but not really a bother when you appreciate how each lesson is independent, yet integrated with the others. Executives will benefit from reading these pages and contemplating how they express the principles in their work, in their lives. Good for group discussion in ongoing staff meetings, as well.

For many years, Japanese business experts have attempted to apply the code of the samurai to the rough-and-tumble world of Japanese corporate life. In fact, during the 1980s, it was often said that if you wanted to understand Japanese business you had to master early Japanese history. In his own brilliant prose, Alan Axelrod suggests that the Western historical tradition has a lot to offer today's Western businessman. The tale of history influencing the present is not owned by the Japanese, and Elizabeth I proves the point. In contrast to the recent Big Bucks film on Elizabeth I, and a slew of popular histories as well, Axelrod sticks to the no-nonsense facts. Letting Elizabeth's own record of leadership tell the tale, Axelrod does not have to invent history, exaggerate, or introduce fictional characters. The past, he argues convincingly, is a treasure trove of lessons learned and examples set. It's too precious to be left to historians alone. Axelrod was guided by this approach in his previous work on General George Patton, and he succeeds again in his analysis of Elizabeth I. A complex figure, sometimes lost in the general discussion of England's long road to democracy, Elizabeth is resurrected here as a patron of corporate excellence. Anyone interested in excellent writing and history made relevant is in for a good read.

As an Australian observer of U.S. history and politics, I found this book an impressive read. Concise, pithy, nicely balanced and structured. It's ideal for bringing history out of the closet and into children's class rooms, something that is badly lacking in my own country. Popular history at its best.

After reading the previous reviews, I fully expected to get "American History Lite" when I read this book. What I did get instead was a book that while being primarily an overview describes the history of America in a clear, concise, and objective manner. As I enjoyed US history in school, reading through various chapters reminded me of "names from our past," George Washington, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, "Blackjack" Pershing, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, etc. It also makes it easy to recount historical facts. One thing that stood out as I read through the book: the amount of violence in our past, be it wars with either the Indians in the early days of our history or with other countries. Of course, both World Wars were major conflagrations that required our assistance in stopping.

I will agree with one other reviewer on one point. This book I feel would have benefitted from some maps showing the routes that early voyagers to America took, progress of the colonies, what parts of the US were acquired through various treaties or purchases, etc. Perhaps these could be added in a future edition. Other than that, this book gives a good recounting of our history, up to Y2K.

This book is great for anyone who wants to refresh their US History knowledge. Although we should have learned all this information in grade school, I am sure that we have all forgotten almost everything. This book illustrates everything clearly and is fun to read.