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Books > Humanities > History > European history > 1750 to 1900

Napoleon's Paper Kingdom - The Life and Death of Westphalia, 1807-1813 (Hardcover): Sam A. Mustafa Napoleon's Paper Kingdom - The Life and Death of Westphalia, 1807-1813 (Hardcover)
Sam A. Mustafa
R2,898 Discovery Miles 28 980 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Placing the creation of Westphalia within the context of the larger German story of the Napoleonic Wars, this groundbreaking book offers the only complete history of Napoleon's grand experiment to construct a model state in Germany. In 1807, in the wake of two years of victories over the Austrians, Prussians, and Russians, Napoleon redrew the map of central Europe by fashioning a new German state. Dubbing it the Kingdom of Westphalia, he appointed his 23-year-old brother Jerome as its king. Sam A. Mustafa shows how Westphalia became a proving ground for the allegedly liberating and modern concepts of the French Revolution, brought by foreign conquest and enforced by a powerful new centralized state. Over the next six years, the inhabitants of this region experienced fundamental and often jarring changes in almost every aspect of their lives. They witnessed a profound clash of French and German culture, as well as new ideas about law, nationality, and politics. And yet, for all of its promise on paper, Westphalia ended up despised by most of its people, who cheered at its collapse and in many cases helped to bring it down. What went wrong with this early example of what we would today call "nation building" and how did Germans react to the changes? Napoleon's Paper Kingdom is the first book in the English language to provide a comprehensive investigation of this fascinating chapter of the Napoleonic Wars.

French, Neapolitan and Polish Cavalry Uniforms 1804-1831 - A series of watercolours from the 19th century rediscovered... French, Neapolitan and Polish Cavalry Uniforms 1804-1831 - A series of watercolours from the 19th century rediscovered (Hardcover)
Markus Stein
R1,295 Discovery Miles 12 950 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

A proverbial cellar find brought to light a remarkable source for Napoleonic uniformology, which due to its artistic design but also high level of detail offers valuable support in the research of the military dress of Napoleonic mounted troops. A total of 56 large-format hand-coloured watercolours depict cavalry, artillery and train troops of the French Imperial period from 1804 to 1812, the Neapolitan army of 1812, and the Polish uprising of 1831. The work itself is introduced with a foreword by art historian Dr. Hans D. Baumann, commenting on the artistic representation and especially the provenance of the portfolio. It turned out that the watercolours by unknown artists were originally part of the library of the Royal Theatre in Berlin and finally reached Kassel via the salt mines of Thuringia in the course of the Second World War. From there they went to a private collector and then disappeared in the afore-mentioned cellar. The reference to the Royal Theatres in Berlin as well as the posture and presentation of some of the depicted cavalrymen quickly led to Richard Knoetel's famous Grosse Uniformenkunde. This is because this doyen of German uniformology cited "coloured hand drawings from the library of the Royal Theatre of Berlin" as the source of some of his plates on the French army. His plates on the Neapolitan army are also partly based on the original source presented here for the first time. Even though the artist (or artists) probably did not produce the 56 watercolours until the late 1830s or 1840s, they are captivatingly accurate and have been assessed by Markus Gartner and Markus Stein for their historical accuracy. Each plate is accompanied by a brief commentary, which usually classifies the depiction as correct - especially the rarer depictions, such as French carabiniers around 1812 in the sky-blue uniforms, underline the artist's sound knowledge of Napoleonic military costume. As evidence of the painting's contemporary origins, some plates are accompanied by illustrations by early 19th century military artists such as Martinet or Weiland, which obviously served as sources. Some illustrations are also supplemented by Knoetel's plates, enabling readers to verify for themselves the impact these watercolours had on the creation of a work of such fundamental nature as the "Grosse Uniformenkunde". Thus this book spans 19th century uniformology from the early years to its perfection around 1890. In addition to the commentaries, the plates are also accompanied by historic details outlining the development and wartime deployment of the unit depicted, as well as the standards carried. These additions were made on the basis of rarer works of French military history, while modern works by military historians Markus Gartner and Markus Stein were also consulted. Since the paintings depict mounted units throughout (both of the Guard and the Line), the reader is able to obtain a comprehensive picture of the splendour of Napoleonic cavalry turned out in their colourful uniforms. The artistic charm of a previously unpublished source and the wide range of units represented will surely make this book a highlight of any library.

Borodino 1812 - Napoleon's great gamble (Paperback): Philip Haythornthwaite Borodino 1812 - Napoleon's great gamble (Paperback)
Philip Haythornthwaite; Illustrated by Peter Dennis
R482 R437 Discovery Miles 4 370 Save R45 (9%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

The battle of Borodino was one of the greatest encounters in European history, and one of the largest and most sanguinary in the Napoleonic Wars. Following the breakdown of relations between Russia and France, Napoleon assembled a vast Grande Armee drawn from the many states within the French sphere of influence. They crossed the river Neimen and entered Russian territory in June 1812 with the aim of inflicting a sharp defeat on the Tsar's forces and bringing the Russians back into line. In a bloody battle of head-on attacks and desperate counter-attacks in the village of Borodino on 7 September 1812, both sides lost about a third of their men, with the Russians forced to withdraw and abandon Moscow to the French. However, the Grande Armee was harassed by Russian troops all the way back and was destroyed by the retreat. The greatest army Napoleon had ever commanded was reduced to a shadow of frozen, starving fugitives. This title will cover the events of Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign of 1812 in its entirety, with the set-piece battle of Borodino proving the focal point of the book.

The Spanish Blue Division on the Eastern Front, 1941-1945 - War, Occupation, Memory (Paperback): Xose Nunez Seixas The Spanish Blue Division on the Eastern Front, 1941-1945 - War, Occupation, Memory (Paperback)
Xose Nunez Seixas
R738 Discovery Miles 7 380 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

In 1941, the Franco regime established the Spanish Division of Volunteers to take part in the Russian campaign as a unit integrated into the German Wehrmacht. Recruited by both the Fascist Party (Falange) and the Spanish army, around 47,000 Spanish volunteers joined what would become known as the "Blue Division." The Spanish Blue Division on the Eastern Front, 1941-1945 explores an intimate history of the Blue Division "from below," using personal war diaries, letters, and memoirs, as well as official documents from military archives in Spain, Germany, Britain, and Russia. In addition to describing the Spanish experience on the Eastern Front, Xose M. Nunez Seixas takes on controversial topics including the Blue Division's proximity to the Holocaust and how members of the Blue Division have been remembered and commemorated. Addressing issues such as the behaviour of the Spaniards as occupiers, their perception by the Russians, their witnessing of the Holocaust, their commitment to the war aims of Nazi Germany, and their narratives on the war after 1945, this book illuminates the experience of Spanish combatants and occupied civilians.

Napoleon's Women Camp Followers (Paperback): Terry Crowdy Napoleon's Women Camp Followers (Paperback)
Terry Crowdy; Illustrated by Christa Hook
R337 R304 Discovery Miles 3 040 Save R33 (10%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

Researched from genuine primary sources, this is the first book to explain and illustrate the organization, activities and personal stories of the female 'support staff' who played a major role in the day-to-day life of Napoleon's armies. The cantinieres who accompanied Napoleon's armies to war have an iconic status in the history of the Grande Armee. Sutler-women and laundresses were officially sanctioned members of the regiment performing a vital support role. In a period when the supply and pay services were haphazard, their canteen wagons and tents were a vital source of sustenance and served as the social hubs of the regiment. Although officially non-combatants, many of these women followed their regiments into battle, serving brandy to soldiers in the firing line, braving enemy fire. This book is a timely piece of social history, as well as a colourful new guide for modellers and re-enactors. Through meticulous research of unprecedented depth and accuracy, Terry Crowdy dispels the inaccurate portrayals that Napoleon's Women Camp Followers have suffered over the years to offer a fascinating look at these forgotten heroines.

Women's Rights and the French Revolution - A Biography of Olympe De Gouges (Hardcover): Sophie Mousset Women's Rights and the French Revolution - A Biography of Olympe De Gouges (Hardcover)
Sophie Mousset
R4,197 Discovery Miles 41 970 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Women played a major part in the French revolution of 1789, but have received very little recognition for their contributions. The many claims and protests put forth by women at that time were suppressed, women's clubs were banned, and Olympe de Gouges, a leading contemporary advocate for women's rights, was silenced. De Gouges, author of the "fundamental Declarations des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne" ("Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen"), has been left out of dictionaries and history books. But in 1993, French women demanded that she be interred in the Pantheon. Sophie Mousset's is the first biography of this astonishing woman. De Gouges dared to write and publish her "Declarations" in 1791, and was sent to the guillotine for having had the courage to mount the rostrum on behalf of women. Despite her contributions, she remains an obscure figure, even in France. Unlike many who have captured posterity's attention, de Gouges had great sympathy but no indulgence for her sex. Instead of considering her female colleagues as eternal victims, she understood that they were to some extent responsible for their misfortunes, and that if they united and devoted themselves to changing their image, they could become great. De Gouges called for the advent of a new woman, one who would relinquish cupidity and the "nocturnal administering" of men. She demanded education for girls, the prevention of arranged marriages and forced vows, the right to divorce, and the legitimization of children born out of wedlock. She advocated the feminization of professional titles, wrote a social contract between man and woman that foreshadowed other legislation, and reflected upon the problem of prostitution and the violence inflicted upon women. She also actively opposed slavery. Olympe de Gouges rightly deserves the title of pioneer, prophet, and heroine. This long-overdue biography pays her due homage. It will be of interest to students of the French Revolution, women's studies, and biography.

Witnessing the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in German Central Europe (Hardcover, New): L James Witnessing the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in German Central Europe (Hardcover, New)
L James
R1,877 Discovery Miles 18 770 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars profoundly affected German Central Europe. Thousands of German and Austrian soldiers fought as enemies and allies of France in military campaigns that stretched from the sierras of Spain to the snowfields of Russia. Meanwhile, German and Austrian civilians found their lives touched by warfare in a way not seen for decades. The political geography of area was transformed as the thousand-year Holy Roman Empire collapsed and Napoleon redrew state borders. Millions found themselves forced to adapt to the political and military reality of French domination. This book traces the individual and collective experience of these momentous events in the letters, diaries and memoirs of contemporaries. It explores how soldiers and civilians wrote about both the horrors and pleasures of warfare and how these experiences were mediated by social status, sex, religion and geography. It suggests that despite the trauma of a generation of warfare, older, pre-Revolutionary interpretations of armed conflict remained important as eyewitnesses sought to explain and understand the turmoil around them.

On War (Hardcover): Carl Von Clausewitz On War (Hardcover)
Carl Von Clausewitz; Contributions by Mint Editions
R764 Discovery Miles 7 640 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

On War (1832) is a treatise on the philosophical aspects of warfare by Prussian general, scholar, and strategist Carl von Clausewitz. Published posthumously by the author's wife-who edited his manuscript and wrote the book's introduction-On War is one of history's most important works on warfare and military strategy, and continues to be studied to this day. With a background in art, culture, and history, and with extensive experience as a combat veteran, Clausewitz sought to understand the military success of such figures as Napoleon and Frederick the Great. What interested Clausewitz the most was how these leaders effectively mobilized entire nations to launch military campaigns larger and more violent than any in European history. Although he initially began with the theory that war was one aspect of a population's struggle for survival, he eventually came to believe that war was a method of imposing the will of one state on another. By privileging politics and philosophy in his study of warfare, Clausewitz changed the way military figures, politicians, and scholars thought of and perpetrated the process of war. Most crucially, Clausewitz suggests that war serves no purpose in and of itself, but rather acts as an instrument of a political party or group. In addition, Clausewitz believed that strong moral and political motivations-especially in the case of defense-greatly increased the chance of victory. On War was read and interpreted by Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Dwight Eisenhower, and has, for over a century and a half, continued to shape the concept and conduct of war. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Carl von Clausewitz's On War is a classic of history, philosophy, and military theory reimagined for modern readers.

Berezina 1812 - Napoleon's Hollow Victory (Paperback): Alexander Mikaberidze Berezina 1812 - Napoleon's Hollow Victory (Paperback)
Alexander Mikaberidze; Illustrated by Adam Hook
R455 R412 Discovery Miles 4 120 Save R43 (9%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

A superbly illustrated narrative of how Napoleon skilfully extracted his Grande Armee from the clutches of the pursuing Russian armies. Much has been written about the Battle of the Berezina and the 1812 Russian campaign in general, during which the cold winter devastated the Grande Armee. Historians often praise Napoleon for his actions at the Berezina and attribute his success to a brilliant strategic mind, laying a trap that deceived the Russians and resulted in a remarkable feat in the history of warfare. Drawing on contemporary sources (letters, diaries, memoirs), and featuring an extensive order of battle, this book recreates in hourly detail one of the great escapes in military history, a story often told with embellishments that require a more critical examination. Although the core of Napoleon's army escaped, tens of thousands were killed in the battle, trampled in the rush for the bridge, drowned in the icy waters of the Berezina, or captured. Written by an acknowledged expert on the period, and using a broad range of sources from all sides, this title brings to life in stunning visual detail, using maps, battlescene artworks and period illustrations, the events of late November 1812, as Napoleon's retreating, desperate Grand Armee extricated itself from the clutches of the Russian armies under Kutuzov, Wittgenstein and Chichagov in an epic feat of heroism and masterful tactics.

Napoleon and the World War of 1813 - Lessons in Coalition Warfighting (Hardcover): J.P. Riley Napoleon and the World War of 1813 - Lessons in Coalition Warfighting (Hardcover)
J.P. Riley
R4,393 Discovery Miles 43 930 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This is an illustrated analysis of the world war between Napoleon and the 6th coalition in 1813, covering operations in Central Europe, Spain and North America. Brigadier Riley examines the differences between successful alliances and coalitions, comparing the long-term international relationships in alliances and the short-term union of coalitions. He points out how, given political and military situations today, it is essential to study coalition war as an historical phenomenon: what conditions bring coalitions together, and what tends to pull them apart; wat are the peculiar difficulties which distinguish them from the wars of nations or established alliances? This examination is made through the momentous year of 1813. With a detailed look at these aspects of coalition warfighting, Riley details the inner relationships of coalitions and their strategic advances by refering to Napoleon's and Wellington's campaigns.

Napoleon and the World War of 1813 - Lessons in Coalition Warfighting (Paperback): J.P. Riley Napoleon and the World War of 1813 - Lessons in Coalition Warfighting (Paperback)
J.P. Riley
R1,389 Discovery Miles 13 890 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This analysis of the world war between Napoleon and the 6th coalition in 1813 covers operations in Europe, Spain and North America. It examines the differences between alliances and coalitions, comparing the long-term international relationships in alliances and the short-term union of coalitions.

Visual Culture and the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (Paperback): Satish Padiyar, Philip Shaw, Philippa Simpson Visual Culture and the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (Paperback)
Satish Padiyar, Philip Shaw, Philippa Simpson
R1,443 Discovery Miles 14 430 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Individually and collectively, the essays in this cross-disciplinary collection explore the impact of the revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars on European visual culture, from the outbreak of the pan-European conflict with France in 1792 to the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Through consideration of a range of media, from academic painting to prints, drawings and printed ephemera, this book offers fresh understanding of the rich variety of ways in which warfare was mediated in visual cultures in Britain and continental Europe. The fourteen essays in the collection are grouped thematically into three sections, each focusing on a specific type of visual communication. Thus, Part One engages with historically specific ways of transmitting messages about war and conflict, including maps, prints, silhouette imagery and war games produced in France and Germany; Part Two considers popular and elite imagining of war between 1793 and 1815, encompassing readings of paintings by Turner, Girodet and Goya, Portuguese anti-French drawings and British satirical book illustrations; while Part Three concentrates on visual cultures of commemoration, addressing British theatrical reenactments and museum collections, and British and Dutch paintings of the Battle of Waterloo. As such, the volume uncovers fascinating new visual material and throws fresh light on some of the more canonical visual representations of conflict during the first 'Total War'.

British Expeditionary Warfare and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1793-1815 (Hardcover): Robert K. Sutcliffe British Expeditionary Warfare and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1793-1815 (Hardcover)
Robert K. Sutcliffe
R3,314 Discovery Miles 33 140 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

How did Britain manage the transportation of large numbers of troops to French controlled territory during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and successfully land them? Shortlisted for the Society for Nautical Research Anderson Medal 2016 Britain's naval victories in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars succeeded in protecting Britain from French invasion, but they could not of themselves defeat France. This required the support of allied armies and necessitated the shipping of large numbers of troops to, and successfully landing them on, French controlled territory - a major logistical operation. Wellington's expedition to Portugal and Spain led to Napoleon's defeat in the Peninsular War, but there were many other British expeditions before this which were not successful, in part because they were too logistically ambitious and/or they lacked allied support. This book examines the nature of combined operations and considers the planning and preparation of expeditions. It highlights the navy's important role in amphibious warfare and describes in detail the logistical operations which supported British expeditionary warfare in the period. It outlines the role of the Transport Board, explores how it periodically chartered a large proportion of the British merchant fleet and what theeffects of this were on merchant shipping. The book concludes that the Transport Board grew in competence; that the failure of expeditions was invariably due to circumstances well beyond its control; and that its pivotal role inthe preparation of all the major military expeditions in which hundreds of thousands of British troops served overseas was very significant and very effective. Robert K. Sutcliffe completed his doctorate at the University of Greenwich.

The Transformation of British Naval Strategy - Seapower and Supply in Northern Europe, 1808-1812 (Hardcover, New): James Davey The Transformation of British Naval Strategy - Seapower and Supply in Northern Europe, 1808-1812 (Hardcover, New)
James Davey
R2,351 Discovery Miles 23 510 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Shows how the system of supply was perfected during the later part of the Napoleonic Wars, enabling fleets to stay at sea on a permanent basis. After the Battle of Trafalgar, the navy continued to be the major arm of British strategy. Decades of practice and refinement had rendered it adept at executing operations - fighting battles, blockading and convoying - across theglobe. And yet, as late as 1807, fleets were forced from their stations due to an ineffective provisioning system. The Transformation of British Naval Strategy shows how sweeping administrative reforms enacted between 1808and 1812 established a highly-effective logistical system, changing an ineffective supply system into one which successfully enabled a fleet to remain on station for as long as was required. James Davey examines the logistical support provided for fleets sent to Northern Europe during the Napoleonic War and shows how this new supply system successfully transformed naval operations, enabling the navy to pursue crucial objectives of national importance, protect essential exports and imports and attack the economies of the Napoleonic Empire. The Transformation of British Naval Strategy is a detailed study of national policy, administrative and political reform and strategic viability. It delves into the nature of the British state, its relationship with the private sector and its ability to reform itself in a time of war. Bureaucratic restructuring represented the last stage in a century-long process of logistical improvement. As a result of the reforms, the navy was able to conduct operations beyond the realms of possibility even twenty years earlier and saw the reach of its power transformed. Military and Napoleonic historians will find this book invaluable. JAMES DAVEY is Research Curator at the National Maritime Museum and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Greenwich, where he teaches British naval history.

Wellington's Masterpiece - The Battle and Campaign of Salamanca (Hardcover): Peter Young, J.P. Lawford Wellington's Masterpiece - The Battle and Campaign of Salamanca (Hardcover)
Peter Young, J.P. Lawford
R1,198 Discovery Miles 11 980 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The Peninsular war was not only one of the great periods in British military history, it was also a war in which guerillas exerted a major influence, and as such, has continued relevance today. Salamanca established Wellington as one of the great military commanders of any age and it is one of the battles which produced significant results. As well as the battle the campaign contains two of the most memorable sieges ever under-taken by British arms, those of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. This book, originally published in 1972, uses eye-witness accounts with the result that the reader can hear the principal characters explain their actions and see the battlefield through the eyes of the men who were there.

Charge! Hurrah! Hurrah! - A Life of Cardigan of Balaclava (Hardcover): Donald Thomas Charge! Hurrah! Hurrah! - A Life of Cardigan of Balaclava (Hardcover)
Donald Thomas
R3,801 Discovery Miles 38 010 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

For James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, leading the Light Brigade at Balaclava was but one incident in a life of sensation and notoriety. Donald Thomas's biography, originally published in 1977, and based on new material when originally published, shows this most controversial Victorian against a panorama of regimental intrigue and aristocratic luxury. Dismissed from the army for 'revolting' conduct, Cardigan bought the command of the 11th Hussars (the 'Cherry Bums') for GBP40,000 a few years later. Regimental rivalries led to the 'Black Bottle' scandal of 1840 and to a duel in which he shot a brother officer. Charged with attempted murder, Cardigan was the only Victorian peer to be tried by the House of Lords. Nonetheless, his seductions of other men's wives rivalled his regimental misdemeanours in press reports. He was jeered int he streets, hissed at the theatre and burnt in effigy. It took the glory and the folly of Balaclava to turn 'this plague-spot of the British army' into 'the most popular soldier in England'. Greeted everywhere by cheering crowds, their new hero fought duels and libel actions against those who denied his bravery before the Russian guns. For all his misbehaviour, Cardigan remains warm-blooded, generous, impulsive and courageous, as well as obstinate, proud and sometimes ridiculous. Hated by numerous men, and adored by many women, his elopement with the beautiful Adeline Horsey de Horsey was a triumph of his old age.

Admiral Saumarez Versus Napoleon - The Baltic, 1807-12 (Hardcover): Tim Voelcker Admiral Saumarez Versus Napoleon - The Baltic, 1807-12 (Hardcover)
Tim Voelcker
R2,611 Discovery Miles 26 110 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Detailed investigation of the key role played by Admiral Saumarez in the continuing naval warfare against Napoleon. The maritime war against Napoleon did not end with the Battle of Trafalgar, but continued right up to 1815, with even more British ships and sailors deployed after 1805 than before. One key theatre was the Baltic, where the British commander was Admiral Saumarez. He had had a highly successful career as a post-Captain, notably at the two battles of Algeciras as a newly-promoted Rear-Admiral. For five years from 1808 as Commander-in-Chief of a large Balticfleet, he played a very skilful diplomatic role, combining firmness and restraint, and working with Sweden contrary to the instincts of his superiors in London, even when she declared war. Despite the determined efforts of Denmark's gunboats and privateers, he successfully kept British trade flowing in and out of the Baltic, undermining Napoleon's 'Continental System' - the economic blockade of Britain - and leading to Napoleon's fateful decision to invadeRussia in 1812. This book, based on extensive original research in both British and Scandinavian archives and making considerable use of Saumarez' unpublished correspondence, charts the maritime and political history of thewar in the Baltic. It illustrates the highly successful, highly esteemed role the Admiral played and looks at the nature and motivation of the man himself revealed in his letters and in the private letters of Count von Rosen, Governor of Gothenburg and chief link between Saumarez and former French Marshal Bernadotte, Crown Prince of Sweden, later to be crowned King Karl XIV Johan. TIM VOELCKER gained his PhD in maritime history at the University of Exeter.

Letters of Seamen in the Wars with France, 1793-1815 (Hardcover): Helen Watt With Anne Hawkins Letters of Seamen in the Wars with France, 1793-1815 (Hardcover)
Helen Watt With Anne Hawkins
R4,365 Discovery Miles 43 650 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Letters of seamen below the rank of commissioned officer which tell us a great deal about shipboard life and about seamen's attitudes. Letters of seamen below the rank of commissioned officer are rare, both in original form and in print. This edited collection of 255 letters, written by seamen in the British Navy and their correspondents between 1793 and 1815, gives voice to a group of men whose lives and thoughts are otherwise mostly unknown. The letters are extremely valuable for the insights which they give into aspects of life below decks and the subjects close to the writers' hearts:money matters, ties with home and homesickness. They also provide eye-witness accounts of events during a tumultuous and important period of British and European history. One group of letters, included as a separate section, comprises the letters of seamen and their family and friends which were intercepted by the authorities during the mutinies of 1797. These letters shed a great deal of light on the extraordinary events of that year and of seamen's attitudes to the mutinies. The editors' introductory material, besides highlighting what the letters tell us about seamen's lives and attitudes, also discusses the extent of literacy amongst seamen, setting this into its wider contemporary popular context. The letters are supported by a substantial editorial apparatus and two detailed appendices containing biographies of seamen and information on select ships which took part in the mutinies of 1797. Helen Watt, a professional archivist and researcher, is currently Project Archivist with the Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York, and has also worked on other research projects at The National Archives, Kew, theNational Library of Wales and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, Aberystwyth. Anne Hawkins, a retired civil servant, was Secretary of the Ships' Names and Badges Committee in the early 1990s and has family links with the Navy and Admiralty.

The Unfortunate Colonel Despard - And the British Revolution that Never Happened (Paperback): Mike Jay The Unfortunate Colonel Despard - And the British Revolution that Never Happened (Paperback)
Mike Jay 1
R370 R336 Discovery Miles 3 360 Save R34 (9%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

This is the true story of Colonel Edward Marcus Despard, the character in the fifth series of the BBC's popular television drama Poldark. Colonel Despard was the last person to be sentenced to hanging, drawing and quartering in Britain - for high treason, an alleged plot to kill the king. His execution on 21st February 1803 was witnessed by twenty thousand hushed onlookers. Their silence was ominous, for few believed he was guilty. His death would tear apart a Britain still reeling from the impact of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. But who was Edward Marcus Despard? Was he, as his comrade-in-arms on the Spanish Main Lord Nelson believed, an outstanding British army officer of unimpeachable honour, courage and patriotism? Or, as the white slave-owners of the Caribbean claimed, a traitor not only to his nation but to his race, who had married a local woman and championed the rights of freed slaves? And when Despard returned to London to answer these allegations, did he commit himself to the cause of political reform in Britain's best interest? Or did he join a shadowy international terrorist conspiracy dedicated to the murder of George III and the overthrow of the state? Despard's contested fate marked the sensational climax to a British revolution that never happened, but it also presaged the birth of modern democracy. 'Compelling, absorbing and wide-ranging . . . Jay weaves a complex variety of themes, many with overtly topical resonances, into Despard's journey from hero to traitor' Sunday Times

Waterloo 1815 (1) - Quatre Bras (Paperback): Gerry Embleton Waterloo 1815 (1) - Quatre Bras (Paperback)
Gerry Embleton; John Franklin 1
R482 R437 Discovery Miles 4 370 Save R45 (9%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

To coincide with the 2015 bicentennial of the Battle of Waterloo, Osprey publishes "Waterloo 1815," a definitive three volume history of the historic battle. Based on new research drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts and illustrations, "Waterloo 1815" provides a detailed resource for all aspects of the famous battle.
This first volume of the trilogy, "Quatre Bras," focuses on the lead-up to Waterloo itself. Two days before the main battle, an initial 8,000 Allied troops faced the 48,000 men of the French Armee du Nord under Marshal Ney at the strategically vital crossroads of Quatre Bras. Having been tricked by Napolean who was trying to drive a wedge between the Prussians and the Anglo-allied army, Wellington concentrated his troops at Quatre Bras, hoping to link up with the Prussians. There Wellington just managed to hold off Ney's attacks. The battle ended in a tactical stalemate but, because he was unable to join with Blucher's Prussians, Wellington retreated back along the road to Brussels to new positions at a small Belgian village called Waterloo, and thus set the stage for one of the greatest battles of all time.
With detailed maps, illustrations and battlefield dispositions, "Quatre Bras" will lay the groundwork for any student of the Battle of Waterloo.

The Crimean War - 1853-1856 (Hardcover): Winfried Baumgart The Crimean War - 1853-1856 (Hardcover)
Winfried Baumgart
R3,996 Discovery Miles 39 960 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Winfried Baumgart's masterful history of the Crimean War has been expanded and fully updated to reflect advances made in the field since the book's first publication. It convincingly argues that if the war had continued after 1856, the First World War would have taken place 60 years earlier, but that fighting ultimately ceased because diplomacy never lost its control over the use of war as an instrument in power politics. With 19 images, 13 maps and additional tables as well as a brand new chapters on 'the medical services', this expanded and fully-updated 2nd edition explores * The origins and diplomacy of the Crimean War * The war aims and general attitudes of the belligerent powers (Russia, France, and Britain), non-belligerent German powers (Austria and Prussia) and a selected number of neutral powers, including the United States * The characteristics and capabilities of the armies involved * The nature of the fighting itself The Crimean War: 1853-1856 examines the conflict in both its Europe-wide and global contexts, moving beyond the five great European powers to consider the role and importance of smaller states and theatres of war that have otherwise been under-served. To this end, it looks at fighting on the Danube front, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Caucasian battlefield, as well as the White Sea and the Pacific, with final chapters devoted to the Paris peace congress of 1856, the end of the war and its legacy. This book remains the definitive study of one of the most important wars in modern history.

This Dark Business - The Secret War Against Napoleon (Paperback): Tim Clayton This Dark Business - The Secret War Against Napoleon (Paperback)
Tim Clayton 1
R381 R348 Discovery Miles 3 480 Save R33 (9%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

Between two attempts in 1800 and 1804 to assassinate Napoleon Bonaparte, the British government launched a campaign of black propaganda of unprecedented scope and intensity to persuade George III's reluctant subjects to fight the Napoleonic War, a war to the death against one man: the Corsican usurper and tyrant. This Dark Business tells the story of the British government's determination to destroy Napoleon Bonaparte by any means possible. We have been taught to think of Napoleon as the aggressor - a man with an unquenchable thirst for war and glory - but what if this story masked the real truth: that the British refusal to make peace either with revolutionary France or with the man who claimed to personify the revolution was the reason this Great War continued for more than twenty years? At this pivotal moment when it consolidated its place as number one world power Britain was uncompromising. To secure the continuing rule of Church and King, the British invented an evil enemy, the perpetrator of any number of dark deeds; and having blackened Napoleon's name, with the help of networks of French royalist spies and hitmen, they also tried to assassinate him. This Dark Business plunges the reader into the hidden underworld of Georgian politics in which, faced with the terrifying prospect of revolution, bribery and coercion are the normal means to secure compliance, a ruthless world of spies, plots and lies.

The Wars of Napoleon (Paperback, 2nd edition): Charles J. Esdaile The Wars of Napoleon (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Charles J. Esdaile
R1,703 Discovery Miles 17 030 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

First published in 1995 to great critical acclaim, The Wars of Napoleon provides students with a comprehensive survey of the Napoleonic Wars around the central theme of the scale of French military power and its impact on other European states, from Portugal to Russia and from Scandinavia to Sicily. The book introduces the reader to the rise of Napoleon and the wider diplomatic and political context before analysing such subjects as how France came to dominate Europe; the impact of French conquest and the spread of French ideas; the response of European powers; the experience of the conflicts of 1799-1815 on such areas of the world as the West Indies, India and South America; the reasons why Napoleon's triumph proved ephemeral; and the long-term impact of the period. This second edition has been revised throughout to include a completely re-written section on collaboration and resistance, a new chapter on the impact of the Napoleonic Wars in the wider world and material on the various ways in which women became involved in, or were affected by, the conflict. Thoroughly updated and offering students a view of the subject that challenges many preconceived ideas, The Wars of Napoleon remains an essential resource for all students of the French Revolutionary Wars as well as students of European and military history during this period.

Napoleon - The End of Glory (Paperback): Munro Price Napoleon - The End of Glory (Paperback)
Munro Price
R417 R384 Discovery Miles 3 840 Save R33 (8%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

Napoleon: The End of Glory tells the story of the dramatic two years that led to Napoleon's abdication in April 1814. Though crucial to European history, they remain strangely neglected, lying between the two much better-known landmarks of the retreat from Moscow and the battle of Waterloo. Yet this short period saw both Napoleon's loss of his European empire, and of his control over France itself. In 1813 the massive battle of Leipzig - the bloodiest in modern history before the first day of the Somme - forced his armies back to the Rhine. The next year, after a brilliant campaign against overwhelming odds, Napoleon was forced to abdicate and exiled to Elba. He regained his throne the following year, for just a hundred days, in a doomed adventure whose defeat at Waterloo was predictable. The most fascinating - and least-known - aspect of these years is that at several key points Napoleon's enemies offered him peace terms that would have allowed him to keep his throne, if not his empire, a policy inspired by the brilliant and devious Austrian foreign minister Metternich. Napoleon: The End of Glory sheds fascinating new light on Napoleon, Metternich, and many other key figures and events in this dramatic period of European history, drawing on previously unused archives in France, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Through these it seeks to answer the most important question of all - why, instead of accepting a compromise, Napoleon chose to gamble on total victory at the risk of utter defeat?

The Napoleonic Wars - The Empires Fight Back 1808-1812 (Hardcover, Revised): Todd Fisher The Napoleonic Wars - The Empires Fight Back 1808-1812 (Hardcover, Revised)
Todd Fisher
R4,197 Discovery Miles 41 970 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

In 1808 Napoleon dominated Europe, but the peace was not to survive for long. Todd Fisher continues his detailed account of the Napoleonic Wars with Austria's attack against Napoleon in 1809. Despite being defeated at Aspern-Essling, Napoleon rallied his forces and emerged triumphant at Wagram. With glorious victory behind him Napoleon now turned his attention to Russia and invaded in 1812. Yet the army was not the Grand Armee of old, and even the capture of Moscow availed him nothing - the foe remained elusive, the decisive battle remained unfought. This book tells the full story of the now legendary retreat from Moscow, as the fighting force that had vanquished Europe perished in the snows of the Russian winter.

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