Who recommended Twelve Against the Gods?

2 people have recommended Twelve Against the Gods in the interviews, articles and reading lists we track, including Elon Musk. Each name links to their full reading list.

Is Twelve Against the Gods worth reading?

2 people we track recommend it. It is best for: a high-school history teacher building a single-class discussion on personality-driven change — useful because short, provocative portraits can spark debate without lengthy prep; a mid-career manager reassessing appetite for risk after years of incremental work — useful for provocative anecdotes that jolt assumptions about boldness and consequence; a humanities grad student studying early 20th-century nonfiction style — useful as source material for essayistic prose, rhetorical praise, and how moral voice shapes historical sketching. It may not suit: you'll likely put it down when the same celebratory rhetoric repeats and factual detail thins — the midsection can feel ornamental rather than informative; annoying if you prefer contemporary, plainspoken prose and clear sourcing — expect ornate diction and few footnotes; not for readers seeking balanced, evidence-heavy biographies — the emphasis is on impression and moral punch rather than archival rigor.

What books are like Twelve Against the Gods?

Readers of Twelve Against the Gods also turn to The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, The World as It Is and Out of Control, based on the lists and recommenders these books share.

Twelve Against the Gods: Recommended by 2 People

Name: Twelve Against the Gods
Author: William Bolitho

1929. This book is intended to elucidate history somewhat, more to illustrate it, to honor without hypocrisy the deeds of men and women whose destiny was larger, if not deeper than our own. Above all to shake loose the perception of the adventurer in us and of us in the adventurer. Included are sketches on the following: Alexander the Great; Casano...