John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, has long been regarded as one of Britain's greatest generals as well as a key English political figure in the first decade of the eighteenth century.
The subject of numerous books in English, Marlborough has typically been seen only in terms of British political and military history. In this book, twelve leading specialists of the period broaden the perspective by assessing Marlborough in the wider and more diverse contexts of the European situation, the common soldier in the British army, the complementary activities of navies, the differing perspectives of the Austrians, Dutch, French, and Germans as well as in the context of the British popular press and the visual arts.
Praise for Marlborough: Soldier and Diplomat
"This groundbreaking new book on my illustrious ancestor presents a fresh and fascinating look at one of England's most famous military commanders. Never before has the Duke's life been explored in such a broad and multi-faceted way, offering unprecedented insights into the man behind Marlborough. I congratulate the authors and publishers and am delighted to welcome and recommend this riveting new publication."
- John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough
"the kind of tour de force of international publishing that seems to come round less and less. An enourmous, glossy, richly illustrated book"
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The London Times, December 15th, 2012 - Janice Murray, Director of the National Army Museum
Includes the following chapters:
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Britain in Europe during the Age of Marlborough (Dr. David Onnekink, The Netherlands)
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Courtier, Army Officer, Politician and Diplomat. A Biographical sketch of John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough (Prof. John B. Hattendorf, The United States)
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John Churchill, Professional Soldiering, and the British Army, c1660-c1760 (Dr. Alan J. Guy, The United Kingdom)
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Marlborough and Siege Warfare (Prof. Jamel Ostwald, The United States)
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'By thes difficultys you may see the great disadvantage a confederat army has'. Marlborough, the Allies, and the Campaigns in the Low Countries, 1702-1706 (Prof. John Stapleton, The United States)
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Marlborough and Anthonie Heinsius. Friends, Colleagues, or just working together for the Common Cause? (Dr. Augustus J. Veenendaal, Jr, The Netherlands)
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Marlborough as an Enemy (Dr. Clément Oury, France)
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'The only thing that could save the Empire'. Marlborough, the States General, and the Imperial States: Diplomacy and Military Strategy in the War of the Spanish Succession and the Great Northern War, 1700-1711 (Prof. Bernhard R. Kroener, Germany)
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Friendship and Realpolitik. Marlborough and the Habsburg Monarchy (Dr. Michael Hochedlinger, Austria)
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The Anglo-Dutch Navies in Marlborough's Wars (Prof. Jaap R. Bruijn, The Netherlands)
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A European general in the English press. The print image of Marlborough in the Stuart realms (Prof. Tony Claydon, The United Kingdom)
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'The British Caesar'. John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and the visual arts (Dr. Richard Johns, The United Kingdom)
