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The above quote is the opening of War, Money, and the English State. There have been many histories of Britain's military successes in the century after the expulsion of James II Stuart--biographies of the first Duke of Marlborough, histories of the British navy, narratives of the Seven Years' War, and so forth. There have been many histories of Britain's economic growth--and even attempts to explain why Britain saw such mercantile and then industrial success in the eighteenth century. But the connection? John Brewer takes on the task of filling in the gap: how was Britain's economic success translated into massive military power?
This question is especially interesting because Britain appeared to successfully mobilize its resources for eighteenth century wars in a manner very different from the continental "absolutist" powers. The apparatuses of royal secret police, lits de justice, the co-option of the middle nobility in the centralization of power and authority, and the ideology of a king "freed from the duty of observing the laws" are in large part absent from British military mobilization. It followed a different pattern--one that may have had decisive consequences for human history...
John Brewer handles his topic superbly, making The Sinews of Power one of the best books I read in 1991, and making it one of the best books I read in 1995, when I re-read it.
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From this experience, he begins to build a "principle-based" work culture, one that cultivates and rewards teamwork. He gives various suggestions on how to make people come together and work as a team instead of being "me-opic".
This is a very good book for managers or folks who want to be managers to learn how to motivate your crew to do the best thing for the greater good of the team. I particularly like how he suggests that working together brings a greater reward for the team than pulling in opposite directions. The suggestions seem sound and based on a real working environment as opposed to some management books use such bizarre examples that you're sure the writer never really worked in an office.
By it and cultivate your management skills.