A History of the Late Siege of Gibraltar

A bestselling account of the siege of the British garrison at Gibraltar from 1779 to 1783, by a participant.

From 1779 to 1783 a British garrison at Gibraltar fought off a fierce Franco-Spanish siege, with the aid of the navy. This bestselling account by a member of the garrison was first published in 1785. Gibraltar was of vital strategic importance to Britain during the Napoleonic Wars and subsequently.John Drinkwater (1762–1844) was stationed at Gibraltar with the Royal Manchester Volunteers from June 1779 to February 1783 while it was besieged by a Franco-Spanish force. He kept a careful record of events during the longest siege endured by British forces. Returning to England a captain, in 1785 he published his account of the unsuccessful siege, which went through four editions in five years. The siege by both land and naval forces put the garrison under great pressure, as food and fuel became scarce. Two successful naval expeditions in 1780 and 1781 evaded the blockade to bring provisions and extra troops, and to evacuate civilians. The siege was lifted, and Gibraltar remained a key British naval base in the Mediterranean. As well as giving his own eyewitness account, Drinkwater got assistance from other officers and men, and also provides illustrations of Gibraltar and plans of the siege.