Volumes I and II of J. W. Fortescue's History of the British Army trace the rise of a permanent army from the Restoration to Marlborough. In lucid, authoritative prose, Fortescue narrates campaigns in Ireland and the Low Countries during the War of the Spanish Succession, while probing the institutional underpinnings-recruitment, finance, drill, logistics, command. Using orders of battle, official correspondence, and pamphlet literature, he places British practice within European power politics and court intrigue, balancing operational narrative with constitutional and administrative inquiry. Fortescue-later Royal Librarian and Archivist at Windsor Castle-married privileged access to state papers with a meticulous method honed on regimental studies. Educated in the classical tradition and immersed in county military culture, he combined an antiquarian's precision with strategic sense; his pages couple admiration for Marlborough's generalship with caustic views on ministerial parsimony, revealing how sources and temperament shaped his synthesis. Scholars of early modern Britain, military professionals, and curious readers will find these volumes both reference and revelation. Read them for their archival depth, measured judgment, and vivid campaigns: an indispensable guide to how Britain learned to make war-and, in doing so, a state.
Quickie Classics summarizes timeless works with precision, preserving the author's voice and keeping the prose clear, fast, and readable-distilled, never diluted. Enriched Edition extras: Introduction · Synopsis · Historical Context · Brief Analysis · 4 Reflection Q&As · Editorial Footnotes.
