THE HINGE FACTOR: HOW CHANCE AND STUPIDITY HAVE CHANGED IN SOUTH AFRICA

From the wooden horse at Troy to a dropped package of cigars at Antietam to a photograph snapped in Vietnam, world history has been shaped as much by chance and error as by courage and heroism. Military conflicts are often decided by a caprice of weather, coincidence, or incompetence - in short, by the unpredictable hinge factor. Durschmied takes us through history's major battles and, in a series of gripping narratives, recreates the events that defined their outcomes. Drawing from historical accounts and personal documents, Durschmied gives us a fascinating look at how the unexpected and the bizarre have dictated world events.*Stamp on first free page; paperback with cardboard reinforcing covers.*