The French Navy and the Seven Years' War
Format:Paperback
Publisher:University of Nebraska Press
Published:1st Dec '07
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Authoritative study emphasizing the war's tragedy rather than its glory
The Seven Years' War was the world's first global conflict, spanning five continents and the critical sea lanes that connected them. Winner of the 2005 France-Ameriques Prize, this book is the account written of the French navy's role in the hostilities.The Seven Years’ War was the world’s first global conflict, spanning five continents and the critical sea lanes that connected them. This book is the fullest account ever written of the French navy’s role in the hostilities. It is also the most complete survey of both phases of the war: the French and Indian War in North America (1754–60) and the Seven Years’ War in Europe (1756–63), which are almost always treated independently. By considering both phases of the war from every angle, award-winning historian Jonathan R. Dull shows not only that the two conflicts are so interconnected that neither can be fully understood in isolation but also that traditional interpretations of the war are largely inaccurate. His work also reveals how the French navy, supposedly utterly crushed, could have figured so prominently in the War of American Independence only fifteen years later. A comprehensive work integrating diplomatic, naval, military, and political history, The French Navy and the Seven Years’ War thoroughly explores the French perspective on the Seven Years’ War. It also studies British diplomacy and war strategy as well as the roles played by the American colonies, Spain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, and Portugal. As this history unfolds, it becomes clear that French policy was more consistent, logical, and successful than has previously been acknowledged, and that King Louis XV’s conduct of the war profoundly affected the outcome of America’s subsequent Revolutionary War.
“A full-dress history of the Seven Years’ War as a whole, from the French perspective. . . . The focus is almost entirely upon grand strategy, diplomacy, and economics and finance; as such it is a first-rate work of serious history. . . . Any serious student of the era will find this a comprehensive history.”—Peyton Moss, ForeWord Magazine|""Dull. . . has produced a comprehensively researched history of the Seven Years' War that succeeds in tracing the political and military ramifications of warfare in North American and Europe. He also fills a crucial historiographic gap by focusing on the long neglected French navy and placing its operational history in a wider political context. . . . Ultimately the book contributes critical research to a burgeoning topic and will prove useful for those seeking an engaging account of high politics and military operations during the Seven Years' War.""—Lauren E. Heckler, Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History|""There are a great many books for English-speaking readers concerning the British Royal Navy in the 18th century, but not many that provide solid, well-researched material concerning its greatest rival, the French Navy. Dull helps fill in that gap and provides some much-needed balance with this work. Overall, this is a much-needed study for any scholar interested in this time period or in western naval and maritime history.""—Choice|""A full-dress history of the Seven Years’ War as a whole, from the French perspective. . . . The focus is almost entirely upon grand strategy, diplomacy, and economics and finance; as such it is a first-rate work of serious history.""—Peyton Moss, ForeWord Magazine|""This excellent book deserves a wide audience. It far surpasses most histories of the Seven Years' War. . . . This book belongs on the shelf of anyone seriously interested in early American and Atlantic history, French maritime and naval history, and in the history of international relations in the eighteenth century.""—James Pritchard, Journal of Military History|""Those interested in learning the inside story of how governments actually conduct war will find this a fascinating work, and a sobering reflection of how they probably still carry on today.""—Robert Guttman, Military History|""The author weaves diplomatic and strategic issues into the overall story of the naval war.""—The NYMAS Review|""Dull has written a magisterial history of the war and the role of the French Navy. . . . This history will long stand as the definitive work on the French Navy of the period.""—Harold N. Boyer, Sea History|""An impressive and an important addition to the literature. The French Navy and the Seven Years' War will for years to come be an essential addition to the library of specialists and students of eighteenth century naval (and diplomatic) history alike.""—Olaf Uwe Janzen, Northern Mariner|""Illuminates the conduct of naval operations by situating them in the wider contexts of the diplomatic negotiations and the land war that were unfolding simultaneously…. A firm, carefully-argued work, which turns out to be far more than a study of the French navy.""—Geoffrey Symcox, H-Net Book Reviews|
“Dull’s book is a monument to careful scholarship. With clear, concise prose, he navigates deftly through a complex tale of war, diplomacy, and politics. His book is the definitive work on this topic.”—Canadian Journal of History
|“With the publication of Jonathan R. Dull’s The French Navy and the Seven Years’ War, we at last have an accessible, brisk, and erudite narrative of this global struggle. For although its title suggests a more narrow focus on the valiant, but doomed, efforts of the French navy in that war, Dull’s work offers much more than this.”—Rafe Blaufarb, Journal of Modern History|""A magnificent book, another tour de force in combined diplomatic, political, and naval history.""—N. A. M. Rodger, author of The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of BritainISBN: 9780803260245
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 612g
472 pages