As an avid reader of history for over 45 yrs I have great respect for Professor Kotkin. His work on Stalin and Geopolitics through the 20th into the 21st century is imo the very best. You can admire and respect a nation, its culture, its people while disagreeing with its means of governance. Even more important if you are going to write about events and/or people in history you need to go where the event or these people are from. I have come to understand that history really comes down to understanding human nature and that we constantly repeat ourselves due to failing to understand that nature. That military history has to not only consider the battles and decisions that the leaders on the ground made at the time but also needs to take into consideration all the influential external factors i.e. political. doctrine, available logistics, and the human nature of all the soldiers etc. that affect how things turn out. Excellent discussion Lex and some good questions