I thought that was her point. The Trojan War was a stretch, I agree.

However, the Popes and Cardinals in Rome faced with the Reformation and the British King and Parliament trying to deal with the American Revolution by fiat rather than understanding seemed an apolitical description of not only events but how they could come to be. The "deciders" being far away and believing they had unlimited power led to arrogance rather than resolution.

Her thesis on the Vietnam war, that once in no American president wanted to be the one to "lose" it, was spot on, I thought. Applied to Democrat Johnson as well as Republican Nixon.

I believe there are lessons in the latter three events which apply now.

"A Distant Mirror" was not only instructive, but fun. For pure enjoyment it's tops on my list.

Arf