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Blenheim: Battle for Europe: Battle for Europe: How Two Men Stopped the French Conquest of Europe by: Charles Spencer

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Rating: - Excellent Account, Great History

Blenheim: Battle for Europe" by Charles Spencer is a riveting account of that great battle fought between Allied forces under the command of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, and the French Army of Louis XIV on August 13, 1704. This is a splendidly told story, not only covering this pivotal battle but the events leading up to it and the main characters involved, including my favourite, Prince Eugene of Savoy.

This battle possibly changed the course of European history with the near destruction of Louis XIV's army. Up to this point the French Army under the command of many capable marshals had never been beaten. It was virtually unstoppable until it met Marlborough, the Captain-General of the armies fighting against France. In this book Charles Spencer describes the outcome of that meeting at Blenheim.

The story telling is first-rate, the narrative flows fast and smoothly, is packed full of information but never over-loads the reader with too much. The colour plates are excellent and the maps sufficient for the story however I would have appreciated maybe a few more.

The account of the fighting is excellent and once you start reading it's hard to stop. The narrative drags you into the fighting as the allied infantry assaults the villages of Blenheim and Oberglau and then mass in the centre for the decisive offensive that was to break the back of the French forces. In the end the allies lost 12,000 men killed and wounded but the French lost more than three times that number.

This is an excellent account and adds much to the military history of this period, no decent library should be without a copy on their shelves.

Rating: - Very good

I knew surprising little about the great Duke of Marlborough and the battle of Blenheim. This book helped fill that gap in an interesting readable way. Spencer is correct in saying that Blenheim should rate alongside Waterloo and Agincourt but it doesnt, yet. This book should go someway to address that.
This book is a great read and a window in to the early 18th Century with good details about all the main players in this amazing time.
Read this book!

Rating: - A wonderful book

Charles Spencer writes superbly about a crucial battle that has been somewhat overlooked as far as history is concerned. The description of the Battle of Blenhiem is very well done, the only small gripe is that I would have liked more detail on the battle itself. But that does'nt detract from a very fine book. I for one will be looking forward to the autors next work.

Rating: - A fine book

I must admit to having a fairly low expectations when buying the book knowing little about the battle/period but rather more about the author. However, I found the book really well written particularly in setting the context of political resistance at home and in the low countries to funding Marlborough's campaign. The way battles were fought in the period was excellently covered with just the right amount of detail throughout.

I look forward to more from this author !

Rating: - A bloody battle, wonderfully told

Much to my surprise, I found this book completely engrossing. I bought it because I had been given the Spencer Family as a present a few years ago, and enjoyed his writing so much that I wanted to see if he could transcend what, for me, wasn't an immediately engaging subject matter.
And how he did! Spencer brings a dusty, forgotten battle vibrantly to life and places it back into the prominence befitting an event that could have changed the entire history of Europe. No dry academic tome this - Spencer wears his considerable learning lightly, which is a gift more historians could learn from, and has a talent for bringing colour and character to the people he writes about.
I will definitely buy his next book, whatever its subject matter.

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