Customer Reviews

Englishmen, Frenchmen, Spaniards

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The idea was great indeed. Sounds like it's going to be a very interesting, and probably funny, book. Comparing these three peoples promises big rewards, especially if the writer is Salvador de Madariaga.

But no, my friends. Keep looking. The great man Madariaga has written here a book that seems to be oriented to the commitee for the nobel prize instead of for the regular bench-park reader or waiting-room 'curioso'. In a very analytical fashion he starts by showing us his modus operandi: how he is going to dissect the national features of the three peoples. It's very visual, his chart and everything. It promises... but alas! by page 18 your joy will turn into sorrow, and maybe even into irritation. Long sentences, with abstract terms and twisted pseudo-intellectual jargon load the pages irritatingly.

I wished the author would give us some example from real life, but no, everything is theoretical. What an opportunity missed to have written a good book, the man had the genius to do it, no doubt about it. But maybe because he was still too young, and his travels abroad, as the important diplomat he was had gone up to his head mercilessly. He should have written this book in his later years. How true that youth is a disease everybody has to go through, and that not everybody get ovcer completely.

Oh, and was his analysis right? Sure. If you care to read the whole brick through. Synthesis, dear Madariaga, economy of language does it.

Madariaga's analytical framework gave me a starting point for understanding the factors underlying the economic and political success of the U.S. and the problems of Latin American countries.