Blenheim : Battle for Europe - Hardcover

Spencer, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0297846094 ISBN 13: 9780297846093

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004

Synopsis

By the summer of 1704 Louis XIV's vast armies dominated Europe. France defeated every alliance formed against her and Louis was poised to extend his frontier to the Rhine and install a French prince on the throne of Spain. Two men saved Europe from French military domination: the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy. Marlborough masterminded a brilliant campaign, working with Eugene to surprise the French invaders inside Germany. The rival armies clashed in August and the hitherto unbeaten French were utterly destroyed. Blenheim was a major turning point in European history. Charles Spencer's narrative is drawn from original sources and moves seamlessly from the deliberations of kings and princes to the frontline soldiers. This is the battle that creates the enduring reputation of the British redcoat and shatters the image of the 'Sun King' and his mighty army.

About this title

About the Author:

Charles Spencer was educated at Eton College and obtained his degree in Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford. Since he was a boy the Battle of Blenheim has fascinated him - it was even his History O level special project - partly because of the Spencer-Churchill direct link to the engagement's prime victor, John, Duke of Marlborough. While in the middle of a seven year stint as a correspondent for NBC News in the United States, Charles Spencer inherited the ancestral home of Althorp, Northampton, which he has since restored and refurbished. He lives at Althorp and in West London with his wife, four children from his first marriage, and two stepsons. He achieved worldwide attention after speaking passionately at the funeral of his sister Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.

Review:

'Charles Spencer's new study offers not only a highly accomplished account of the battle and its wider consequences, but also a shrewd and persuasive reassessment of the personalities involved... Spencer's account maintains the detachment of the professional historian, and is safely ancestor-worship free.' THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH '... thoughtful, interesting and well written... Spencer recovers an approach and authorial voice associated with Winston Churchill, whom indeed he quotes effectively and appropriately... From the excellent scene-setting of the Prologue to the effective battle description, which ably draws on the memoirs of the participants, Charles Spencer successfully combines narrative with analysis.' EVENING STANDARD '... the Earl has made a remarkable debut as a popular military historian with the absorbing BLENHEIM: Battle for Europe... not to be missed.' SOLDIER '... compulsively readable. I caught myself biting my fingernails during the account of the Battle of Blenheim... the sheer verve of Spencer's prose brings the battle of Blenheim alive better than any other account I have read since Winston Churchill's... the rest is a fine account of the politics and campaigns of a period that in less capable hands might seem impossibly complicated... vividly written...' -- Andrew Roberts MAIL ON SUNDAY 'Charles Spencer has written a pacey book, on the whole engaging because of, rather than despit, its exuberance and beautifully illustrated... the maps are good... What Spencer does superbly... is draw the connections and relations within Britain and Europe so that the intrigues of the Restoration, the Glorious Revolution, the Hanoverian succession and the dynastic contortions of the continental war come vividly to life.' THE TIMES 'Spencer has... acquitted himself creditably in his debut as a military historian... he displays a lively sense of period... Where Spencer has mad a real contribution to our understanding of the war of the Spanish succession is in his exploitation of the French sources... THE SUNDAY TIMES 'From the excellent scene-setting of the prologue to the effective battle description, which ably draws on the memoirs of the participants, Spencer successfully combines narrative with analysis... Charles Spencer is to be congratulated for ably drawing back into focus an earlier period when British forces also played a key role in moulding the fortunes of Europe.' THE SCOTSMAN 'Blenheim is a judicious and compelling account of an important but little-known battle.' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'pacy and enjoyable... this is a fine, intelligent, patriotic book which deserves to be read ...' THE SPECTATOR 'There is much to enjoy in this racy fast-paced narrative... A convincing and sympathetic portrait of the Duke himself is also presented, warts and all... The account of the storming of the Schellenberg heights a month before the battle at Blenheim is truly gripping, making effective use of contemporary accounts.' TLS 'Blenheim: Battle for Europe is a lucid work of popular history... vivid portrayal of incidental detail... Charles Spencer's pacy and vibrant account is well worthy of a mention in dispatches.' LITERARY REVIEW

About this edition

• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0297846094
• ISBN 13: 9780297846093
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352