The art of warfare in the age of Marlborough

by David G. Chandler

A detailed study of warfare in the early 1700s, when Marlborough and his commanders developed new tactics for infantry, cavalry, artillery and siege engineers.“Chandler’s knowledge and research are meticulous, and his prose is graceful and lean . . . a truly valuable source for the serious student of military history.”—Military History

Genres: History, Military History, Military Fiction, War, 18th Century

317 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

David G. Chandler was a British historian whose study focused on the Napoleonic era. As a young man he served briefly in the army, reaching the rank of captain, and in later life he taught at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. According to his obituary in the The Daily Telegraph, his "comprehensive account of Napoleon's battles" (his classic "The Campaigns of Napoleon") is "unlikely to be improved upon, despite a legion of rivals". He was also the author of a military biography of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and of "The Art of War in the Age of Marlborough".

Reviews

[DoctorM · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic of its kind--- a clear, well-crafted discussion of the art of war in the age of Marlborough and Louis XIV. Chandler explains the way that late 17th and early 18th-c. armies dealt with the coming of a new era of professionalization and disciplined warfare and how the demands of logistics shaped campaigns and gave prominence to military engineers like Vauban. Very highly recommended for anyone looking at the wars of Louis XIV and the beginnings of the modern army.

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read book on the era although some of its assertions have been questioned as of late. Could have used a conclusion.

[Joseph Ficklen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed book about the major arms of the service, infantry, cavalry, artillery, and engineers, during the period between the Nine Years War and the War of Austrian Succession (1688-1748). At first I didn’t understand why that specific time period was chosen, but it represents the transitional era between Pike and Shot and Frederick the Great. It took me a while to get through this book because of its density but I learned a great deal and will be going back to this for reference.

[Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very thorough study of warfare in the age of Marborough. Chandler does an excellent job in contrasting the age with earlier forms of warfare and how Marlborough became such a brilliant and famous tactician.