Marlborough: His Life and Times, Book Two

Marlborough: His Life and Times (American Editions) #2

by Winston S. Churchill

"It is my hope to recall this great shade from the past, and not only invest him with his panoply, but make him living and intimate to modern eyes."—from the preface to Volume One

John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough (1644-1722), was one of the greatest military commanders and statesmen in the history of England. Victorious in the Battles of Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), and countless other campaigns, Marlborough, whose political intrigues were almost as legendary as his military skill, never fought a battle he didn't win. Although he helped James II crush the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, Marlborough later supported William of Orange against James II in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and brilliantly managed England's diplomatic triumphs during the War of the Spanish Succession. Marlborough also bequeathed the world another great British military strategist and diplomat—his descendant, Winston S. Churchill, who wrote this book to redeem Marlborough's reputation from Macaulay's smears.

One million words long and ten years in the making, Churchill's Marlborough stands as both a literary and historical masterpiece, giving us unique insights into the Churchill of World War II, for just as Churchill's literary skill helps us understand the complexities of Marlborough's life, so too did his writing of Marlborough help Churchill master the arts of military strategy and diplomacy. This two-volume edition includes the entire text and almost all the original maps.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, 18th Century, European History, Military History, Military Fiction

1078 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, politician and writer, as prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955 led Great Britain, published several works, including The Second World War from 1948 to 1953, and then won the Nobel Prize for literature.

William Maxwell Aitken, first baron Beaverbrook, held many cabinet positions during the 1940s as a confidant of Churchill.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can), served the United Kingdom again. A noted statesman, orator and strategist, Churchill also served as an officer in the Army. This prolific author "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."

Out of respect for Winston_Churchill, the well-known American author, Winston S. Churchill offered to use his middle initial as an author.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston...

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The political and military life of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, reached both its zenith and low in some of the most turbulent times of both Great Britain and Europe. Marlborough: His Life and Times, Book Two combines the third and fourth volumes of Sir Winston Churchill’s much heralded biography of his ancestor covering the last 17 years of his life, but focusing mostly on the decade between 1706-16.

From the beginning of the book, Marlborough’s approach to both his military and political zenith is fairly short, but the long slow decline towards political exile began to slowly eat away at his authority on the battlefield and gave encouragement to French court of Louis XIV. Churchill throughout the book, details the remaining six campaigns that Marlborough lead the Allies in Flanders during the War of the Spanish Succession with truly amazing detail to the battles of Ramillies, Oudenarde, and Malpalquet and their aftermaths. However, Churchill does not keep his biography in a bubble around Marlborough during the war as other theaters as well as actors--Prince Eugene, other British generals, and the various French marshals.

While Marlborough fought to unparalleled success, his power was undone not by military defeat but by the political forces--including his wife Sarah--at home that first undermined his trust friend Godolphin and later his relationship with Queen Anne. Churchill gives the reader a detailed account of the political climate and intrigue in London during the 10 years saw Marlborough’s political clout slowly begin to ebb then fall precariously after the fall of the Whig Junto to Harley’s Tory administration that used Marlborough has a tool on the battlefield to short shift the rest of the Grand Alliance with secret negotiations with France that lead to the undoing of years of Marlborough’s military success after his dismissal as Commander-in-Chief. Yet, upon the ascension of the Hanoverian George I, Marlborough returned to high political position after traveling to the continent in political exile but let a younger generation deal with the day-to-day details and policies while he enjoyed a restful existence as an elder statesman.

Written during the time of his own political exile, Winston Churchill gives the reader a thorough education of the late-Stuart political upheavals in Britain while at the same time giving them the political landscape of Europe at the beginning of the very turbulent 18th Century, especially the influence of Louis XIV and the dynastic politics of the Hapsburgs and republican Dutch. While a length of 1040 pages of text, not counting 40 pages containing a bibliography and index, may seem daunting to the any reader I can tell you that by the end you’ll have enjoyed learning so much.

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume of Marlborough: His Life and Times spans the entirety of William III’s reign, as it begins immediately after the Glorious Revolution and ends with the King's death in 1702.

Though I’ve only read the first two volumes, I am going to wager that this will be the weakest of them all. The narrative gets bogged down as Churchill spends several chapters debunking the validity of various Jacobite sources, such as King James Memoirs and the Camaret Bay Letter. I won’t go into the details here, but suffice to say that Churchill does his best to exonerate Marlborough from claims that he betrayed England for the Jacobite cause. As in Volume I, Churchill’s arguments are persuasive, and I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

In this period of his life, Marlborough experiences many trials, including King William’s cool treatment towards him and being thrown in the Tower, but he weathers these storms well and by the turn of the 18th century has gained King’s favor. It is hard to believe that in 1702, Marlborough is already 52 years old. Although he has had quite an eventful life by this time, the upcoming years are without a doubt the most important of his life – which is why there are still four more volumes in this series.

With all this said, I still greatly enjoyed reading this volume. Churchill’s writing is excellent, the history is interesting and mostly new to me, and the material here sets the stage for the war of Spanish Succession and Marlborough’s eventual triumphs.

[Peter Corrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

After 2,000+ pages I have sadly reached the end of this 2-volume epic of biography and history. As is often true I am a bit reluctant to take leave of this illustrious life and it's brilliant retelling by his also famous descendant. It really is a book of both life and times as there is more time spent on key historical developments outside the immediate ambit of Marlborough's life than on his personal tribulations. At the end you may not feel you understand the person John Churchill too well, despite the many letters even to his wife Sarah that are reproduced here. The book(s) were written in the 1930s and about a time in the late 17th and early 18th century when personal feelings were not the paramount measure of a person or their achievements. Even in the unwarranted 'downfall' of Marlborough there is little real insight as to how he felt. Angry and bad no doubt as anyone would. It is on events that the focus is placed and their effect on the great sway of history.

There is a lot of history to wade through here mainly dealing with the War of the Spanish Succession from 1705 (the year after the Battle of Blenheim) to its somewhat ignominious end in 1713 with the Treat of Utrecht. Amidst that period there are seemingly endless political struggles between Whigs and Tories, The Queen and her retinue (including a falling-out with Sarah Churchill, his wife), the issue of the Hanoverian Succession and possible Jacobite restoration, and international intrigues between the members of the Grand Alliance and France. As described by Winston Churchill, the War of the Spanish Succession was in many ways the first modern world war and is of course all but forgotten today. The siege of Lille in 1708 was one of the greatest in European history. Writing in the 1930s, Churchill drew many lessons from the successes and failure of alliance warfare and the need to persevere in adversity. When France and Louis XIV faced their darkest hours in early 1709 but did not collapse and were more or less saved by the political in-fighting in Great Britain, Churchill drew the lesson. Fight On! (page 361). A lessons he put to use just a few years later. It is altogether an absorbing tale told brilliantly by this master of the English language, British history and politics. One can easily get lost in the arcane parliamentary maneuvering within the monarchy of the time and the irritating switching of names when someone
is promoted into the peerage. Upon 'promotion' Harley becomes Oxford and St John becomes Bolingbroke and pages elapse before you may realize he is talking about the same guys. I downgraded Volume 1 a star for reasons like that but really cannot again. This 2-volume work is
truly a masterpiece. Churchill's brilliant prose and ability to cut through to the themes that animate human history and individuals are on display frequently and I cannot begin to do it justice in this short review. One example may suffice; after the brilliant victory of Ramillies in 1706 when it seemed France must collapse and the Alliance must emerge with total victory, he writes: 'The Majestic events of history and the homely incidents of daily life alike show how vainly man strives
to control his fate. Even the greatest neglects or failure may bring him good. Even his greatest achievements may work him ill'
(p. 142).

Marlbrough's military achivements and success in coaltion warfare will stand forever as exemplars for success in these endeavors. Of note is that the campaign and battle maps are plentiful, simple in design but very instructive which is impressive for the 1930s. Just as Churchill does not linger on psychological dissections of the main characters nor does he dwell on the unimaginable
horrors of the battlefields like Malplaquet or Ramillies or the endless sieges, disease and human waste of war. It was a different and more brutal time, although it is undeniable that the highest generals often shared the fate of the common soldier with exposure to the horrors of the battlefield and it's aftermath. Considerable time of course is spent on the convoluted pathway by which Britain abandoned the Grand Alliance after 10 years or war for it's own benefit and detriment of the stated goals of the Alliance which Britain funded in large measure and was supposedly fighting for over such a long period. The war could easily have ended in 1706, 1709 or 1710 on terms as good
or better than what was finally decided at Utrecht. Churchill is still aghast at the how this came to pass even some 200+ years later! At the end Marlborough is almost completely vindicated of the unfair charges that led to his dismissal in 1712, which seemed to be a major reason why Churchill undertook the project in the first place!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit I had a difficult time reading "Marlborough: His Life and Times, Book Two." I had the same problem with U.S. Grant's memoirs in that the bulk of the book deals with the early battles Marlborough fought in the War of the Spanish Succession ending with his famous victory at the Battle of Blenheim. Too much of the book deals with troop movements and scoping out the enemy and it's size particularly since the battles are in unfamiliar locations. Sometimes I wasn't even sure what country they were in. Whereas the battles Grant fought, like Vicksburg, were familiar to me as were his opponents, the majority of Marlborough's battles and opponents were not. As commander of an allied army early on in the war his choices of battle sites were subject to veto by the Dutch generals he commanded. This made for dull reading waiting for something to happen. Marlborough's frustration is palpable. So is the reader's. I had given Grant's Memoirs 2 stars but I couldn't possibly do that to Churchill. His command of the facts is astonishing considering the events happened two hundred years before. His command of the English language is even more astonishing and a pleasure to read. I did like the political portions of the book including his dealings with Queen Anne and his, sort of, Prime Minister, Godolphin. My disappointment with Book Two will not keep me from reading Book Three, however. In fact I look forward to it.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arguably the greatest biography of the 20th century in the English language & it totally delivers. A superbly written book about a simply AMAZING life. Much maligned in history, a fair portion of Book One (successfully) deals with the charges against Marlborough (John Churchill). An abridged edition would gloss over much of this but you'll lose much of the better parts of the book as well.
Written to a British audience, it can be difficult to follow if you aren't up on British history. Even so, you get a gripping view of the person, a great appreciation of the seemingly impossible challenges John Churchill surmounts and feel the searing shame of a people who kicked Britain's greatest military hero to the curb instead of holding him up in honor (not unlike what happens to Winston himself later in life). A fabulous biography of one of the most underappreciated men in all of history.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rightly considered one of the best biographies and histories of the 20th century, Winston Churchill's work on his illustrious ancestor is not only an in-depth and infinitely wise look back on the early modern era in Europe in general and England in particular, it is also a great pleasure to read, thanks to Churchill's unsurpassed prose. Not an easy or light read at 1000 pages of text per book, it will reward the patient and diligent reader with the skillfully illustrated career of this remarkable soldier, put tirelessly into the political, diplomatic and military contexts in which he worked. Simply not to be missed by lovers (and makers) of history.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume two of the wonderfully biased hagiography. The events of 1704 and the Blenheim campaign takes center stage. Churchill deploys the full of array of his rhetorical splendour to make the case for Marlborough's brilliance. A cynical 21st century reader might not be fully convinced about the impartiality of the analysis, but will be impressed by the power and devotion of the case being put in front of her.

[WSH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marlborough’s military genius finally shines, as do his political skills and his astonishing self-command in the face of immense frustrations. The volume builds to a climax at the battle of Blenheim. The denouement tells how Marlborough capitalized on this victory but also sets the stage for his ultimate, unmerited downfall. Throughout his account of these events, Churchill contrasts Marlborough’s genius and comprehensive views with the narrow views and pettiness of party men.

[Joshua Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume of Churchill's biography of his famous ancestor. I enjoyed the book, and learning about this man and era of which I knew little. Churchill is an fervent apologist for Marlborough, and he does a rather good job of it. It's also interesting to know some of Churchill's backstory and see how he emphasizes the similarities he sees between Marlborough and himself.

The biography was pretty good, though I would have preferred to have a printed version where I could examine the maps to get a better understanding of the battles.

As far as an assessment of Marlborough the man, I can't say I came away with a very high opinion of him. He was clearly very skilled as a general and as a politician, especially in negotiating between varied armies and petty commanders of the alliance, even while he was in title the overall commander. He was clearly duplicitous in his communications with the Jacobite government and discussing bribery with French envoys. Churchill makes a convincing argument that he always held England's best interest at heart and that those were purely strategic communcations and intelligence gathering. Yet it still leaves me with a foul taste in my mouth. He was ultimately a man of his times. He rose above them in his skill as a general, but not in his integrity.

[Enoch Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest general you've never heard about. But, as an American, this book answers an interesting historical problem by suggestion. That problem is, why did the American colonies start to receive waves of immigration from Swedes, Dutch, Hugenot French, and Germans after 1700, when immigrants prior to 1700 had been primarily English only? It is because of the great alliance built by this first Churchill--all of those peoples had been fellow soldiers during The War of the Spanish Succession, 1700-1714. In fact, General Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, fought under Prince Eugene, Marlborough's German colleague.

[Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

The different volumes for Marlborough: His Life and Times are all mixed up on Goodreads. I will link my reviews for the final two volumes of the original series.

Volume V - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Volume VI - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Iain Hamill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story continues! With some excellent strategic battle detail.

[Parker Samelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff about Marlborough’s genius.

[Paul R · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Marks54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is the second half of Churchill's biography of the first Duke of Marlborough. It follows his life through the heart of his great campaigns and victories up through his fall from power and disgrace at the hands of the Tories, to his return to England and power with the Hanoverian succession of King George 1, concluding with his decline and death.

What did I like about this? It is a very interesting story about a true soldier/statesman living right at the time of the transition to the modern British state, with the cabinet system and the professionalization of the armed forces. Marlborough was never defeated in his many campaigns and amassed a military record and stature comparable to that of Napoleon. He is critical for understanding how Stuart Britain transitioned to the Hanoverian kings, whose descrendants are still one the throne. In his combination of military skill and diplomatic prowess that was central to the unity of the confederation against Louis XIV, while remaining subject to his queen and not grabbing power, it is hard to think of any modern parallels, although Winston Churchill comes to mind. While I had heard of the Wars of the Spanish Succession, the South Sea Bubble, and other developments during this period, I am astonished that I had not realized how important the start of the 18th century was to later events.

This book is also about the height of pre-Napoleonic warfare, with its rapid movement of units between and around set piece battlefields. There are lots of battles chronicled in this story. A careful look at these battles, map in hand, is itself a major project and necessary for understanding the story that Churchill tells about his ancestor. It is hard to appreciate the extent to which Marlborough and Prince Eugene dominated the scene during this time of nearly continual war. It is also amazing to me how most of Marlborough's campaigns were fought in Flanders over the same ground that would be dominated by the trenches of the western front 200 years later. The same towns are being fought over by the same players - just organized a bit differently with a very different alliance structure.

Marlborough's wife Sarah is herself a major character in this story -- arguably as important as the Duke himself to their rise in power early in the reign of Queen Anne. She was a political force on her own who became perhaps the richest woman in England. That she fell from power is understandable and rapid career shifts were an all too common aspect of British politics at the time.

The evolution of the party system that overlapped this story was complex and I still get confused about how politics, religion, and international affairs intermingle with military matters in the book.

Likw the first half of the book, Churchill's treatment of his power couple is highly sympathetic, although he does try hard to raise and consider all of the complaints against John and Sarah. His prose is marvelous, and while he is clearly rooting for the home team, I don't feel like the story is distorted very much by Churchill's fondness for the first Churchill power couple. He quotes characters in their own words where he can and is not shy about dealing with controverseys.

This is a big work but it was actually a lot of fun to work through.

[Michael Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I reviewed Book One, I felt it was important to follow up with a review of Book Two of this work. My initial comment is that sticking with something this huge is a task in itself, but often the reward is hard to describe. For me, I feel each time I finish a huge work like this (or Hegel, or Kant, or ... well, anything "Big") I sense my own mind has been exercised a bit. It's a reward in and of itself.

Firstly, like Book One, this is really Volume Three and Volume Four of the a Four Book series bound together in Two mammoth volumes. Reading these 2000 plus pages is like running a marathon: the beginning is difficult, then you break the pain barrier and coast for quite a long while until the last staggering climb to the finish.

In Book Three we continue with the war of Spanish Succession. These 500 pages are essentially concerned with the gigantic battles Marlborough fought. It was a time in which his glory was highly esteemed. As we get into Book Four, much like Book One, the narrative returns to the overall political scene which dominated and brought down the Great Duke. It is also the point where the reader might become overwhelmed again by both the multifaceted political machinations as well as the constantly revolving names (John Churchill becomes the Duke of Marlborough, etc.)

However, for all these difficulties, the overall sense from both volumes is as thorough and detailed and enthralling as history can be written. There can be no doubt that Winston Churchill, as he surveyed the ever-mounting rearmament of the Germanic states and looking over the ancient maps of Europe imagining both the current and past, felt an immense burden of responsibility. By undertaking the task of "reforming" The Duke of Marlborough's image, he delved deep in to the vaults of history and warfare. It was not surprising that at the same moment he should be the first to recognize (at least in Britain) the significance of Hitler's intentions.

One other thing struck me as fascinating about this era. The whole course of European politics, war, peace, and financial stability were tied up in the lives of three bickering women: Sarah (Marlborough's wife), Abigail (cousin to Sarah), and Queen Anne (whom both served and guided with gossip and whisperings.) Out of this small time period bore the seeds of Napoleon, the American discontent with England, and Slavery. Big stuff.

I recommend these Four volumes (two books). The paperbacks are perhaps overstuffed, though. Book One split right down the middle. I was more careful with Book Two, though my hands suffered from it.

[Rik Brooymans · Rating 4 out of 5]

If, like me, you're a fan of Churchill, volume two of his four volume bio on his illustrious ancestor will definitely hit the mark. It carries all the hallmarks of Churchill's greatest prose - the respect for historical context, the sniping with previous authors and their contradictory opinions, a very British way of ensuring all the details are recorded and an easy writing style that makes even the driest sessions of Parliamentary debate over obscure bills come alive. The first half of the volume is a slow boil, but it comes alive in the second, when Marlborough's military genius really starts to show. There is lots of intrigue to keep you involved as both enemies and allies struggle to hold Churchill's hero back. Grand historical moments like the march of the Scarlet Caterpillar are brilliantly described and documented. And the last quarter of the volume is a highlight reel of the greatest early 18th century political and military manoeuvres.

Well worth a read if your interests encompass British history, military history, excoriating the Dutch and the French, the Glorious Revolution and spell-binding historical lectures from a unique perspective.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

The biography of the first Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, by his forbear, Winston Churchill, is a towering classic about a truly larger than life figure. The leader of the military forces opposing France in the War of Spanish Succession, he was a masterful leader of men and an undefeated general in ten campaigns. He was also a skillful minister and diplomat in keeping the military alliance agaist France intact. After the war he was relegated to exile by lesser lights, but later returned to his former place in the court of England. His long marriage to the love of his life, his wife, Sarah, is woven throughout the story of his life. All in all, the story of his life is a tale of perserverance, strength, honor, courage and devotion to duty and family.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lemme sum up: France is punked, despite how shortsighted and battle-averse the Dutch insist on being. On to book Three!

[Joseph Landau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, both for the life and the times.