Shortly after Macmillan published Tragedy and Hope they were bought out by a competitor and destroyed the plates to the the book.

I tried to post a link to this book on my Facebook page and my whole Facebook page shut down.I immediately thought of Mel Gibson in the movie Conspiracy Theory buying a copy of JD Salinger's," Catcher in the Rye" and being tracked and assaulted by the black helicopters...project Echelon was still in its infancy in 1977 when Dr Quigley died.I wonder what he would think of the evolution of that technology into what the power elite have at their disposal through the NSA and other programs today?

Because I haven't gotten too far into it, yet. I've heard of this author. He seems to be more well known on the "right" than the "left" whatever those words mean anymore. The one thing that stopped me in my tracks, was when in the intro he talks about the "Cold War" being over by 1964 (the year he ends his account), and the idea that now a bunch of liberals were going to hold hands and solve social problems.

Of course, this was in the very early stages of Vietnam, and I'm sure it did probably look as he describes to many at that moment. And there were these efforts to raise living standards through things like the "Great Society" even while the US empire policy was really the same.But that assumption was unimpressive to me - although I'm writing in 2011, so that really isn't far to Mr. Quigley. My guess is the book is going to describe a world that looks more like today than even the period he's covering, as they drive living standars into tthe 19th century at home - while continuing the empire plan abroad.

The person who writes the intro to this (comes with this particular download version)seems to indicate this, but I don't want to give too much away for those who haven't read it or even gotten as far into it as I have.

I bet as I get further into the book, I'll see why so many find this book prescient, and maybe then I'll write a proper review.

Update: After getting further into this, I can't understand why Mr Quigley isn't more well known. People should read this, as it is almost prophetic - especially the part about the age of expansion leading to the age of conflict(where the "west" is today), and then if society isn't reorganized, to the age of Universial Empire - which some of our elite seem really wanting to bring about as soon as they can, no matter destructive it is to others. Universal Empire seems like where the idea of New World Order must have come from.

This book was the inspiration for modern conspiracy theories. Quigley offers an objective
view of the rise of Western civilization. He wrote as an 'insider'.after becoming disillusioned
with the Establishment which he served.
For insights into the life of this great man :-

http://www.carrollquigley.net/biography/Carroll_Quigley-Some_Aspects_of_His_Last_Twelve_Years.htm