Prince Eugene of Savoy: the Life of a Great Military Commander of the 17th & 18th Centuries (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781782827962)

Malleson's essential text enhanced with many maps and illustrations

Many English language readers may have discovered Prince Eugene of Savoy in consequence of his collaboration with John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, during the War of Spanish Succession, most notably at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. From this perspective Eugene has, perhaps, been characterised as a talented 'assistant'. Nothing could be further from the truth. Born in 1663 in Paris, Eugene was a devoted soldier of the Habsburg monarchy, he saw action for the first time at the age of twenty at the great battle for Vienna against the Turks in 1683. From that time, for most of his life, he was almost constantly at war. He served throughout the Great Turkish War, the Nine Years' War, the War of Spanish Succession, the Austro-Turkish War and the War of Polish Succession including his last engagement at Phillipsburg in 1734, just two years before his death in 1736, aged 72 years. He fought twenty-one major battles and rose to become a commander of the highest rank whose military genius and record of victories has placed him in the pantheon of the greatest military men of any historical period. Malleson's book superbly focuses on Eugene's career and is vital reading for those interested in the last attempts of the Ottoman Turks to establish an enduring presence in the West. Additionally, descriptions of Eugene's actions at Blenheim, Oudenarde, Malplaquet and other engagements during the War of Spanish Succession are essential reading for students the period.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.