Marlborough: Leadership, Strategy, Conflict: No. 10 (Command) - Softcover

This useful short biography of Marlborough looks at each of these major battles and the way in which each was won, as well as covering the less well known but equally impressive campaigns that saw the French forced out of their major defensive lines and Marlborough s successful sieges. The text is well supported by battlefield maps, illustrations and contemporary paintings, complete with useful captions noting where the paintings are inaccurate (mainly due to the artistic conventions of the period, in which commanders are almost always shown watching the battle develop from a convenient hill). There is also an interesting section looking at the way in which Malborough s reputation has fluctuated over the years, perhaps reaching its peak in Winston Churchill s biography of his most famous ancestor. --HistoryofWar.org

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, is one of the great commanders of history. Using his great charm and diplomatic skills he was able to bind troops from various European states into a cohesive army that won a string of victories over the French armies of King Louis XIV, the first of which was perhaps his most spectacular triumph - the battle of Blenheim. Other great victories followed, but political and social turmoil proved harder opponents to defeat. This book provides a detailed look at the many highs and lows in the career of the most successful British general of his era.