Tag Archives: Hubris

Gerald Ratner: Honesty Isn’t Always the Best Policy

Posted on July 10, 2024 by odeboyz

Gerald rejected his grammar school to work on his father’s stall in London’s famous Petticoat Lane market. It was a cut-throat trading environment where traders were predators. He loved it. Gerald worked the crowds, seducing them into buying his goods. … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiography, Finance, History, Humour | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Isaac Newton and Other Failures

Posted on April 17, 2024 by odeboyz

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”Winston Churchill People who triumph over failure are the stuff of legends. Seemingly they possess a recipe: “If you do as I do then good things will be yours!” … Continue reading →

Posted in Finance, History, Literature, Science | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Hilary Mantel ~ The Mirror and the Light (2020)

Posted on June 1, 2020 by odeboyz

The scale of the success of the Thomas Cromwell trilogy is that it’s a 2112 page story about a Tudor civil servant. Cromwell’s speciality was as a courtier and sycophant endlessly grovelling to Henry VIII. He was also a ruthless … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Literature, Review | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Strategic Context of Operation Barbarossa: June 22nd 1941

Posted on September 28, 2018 by odeboyz

“With Russia smashed, Britain’s last hope would be shattered. Germany then will be master of Europe and the Balkans. Decision: Russia’s destruction must therefore be made a part of this struggle. Spring 1941…If we start in May 1941, we would … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, statistics, War | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 1939: Bismarck’s Final Triumph

Posted on April 15, 2016 by odeboyz

The most audacious diplomatic pact of the twentieth century was between Nazi Germany and the USSR: the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (23rd Aug 1939). It was audacious but stood in the tradition of German foreign policy established by Otto von Bismarck. Bismarck’s … Continue reading →

Posted in History, War | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments