The Years of Endurance, 1793-1802

Revolutionary/Napoleonic France

by Arthur Bryant

Dust jacket missing, otherwise very readable.

Genres: History, Military History

459 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1942

About the author

Sir Arthur Wynne Morgan Bryant was an English historian, columnist for The Illustrated London News and man of affairs. His books included studies of Samuel Pepys, accounts of English eighteenth- and nineteenth-century history, and a life of George V.

Bryant's historiography was often based on an English romantic exceptionalism drawn from his nostalgia for an idealised agrarian past. He hated modern commercial and financial capitalism, he emphasised duty over rights, and he equated democracy with the consent of "fools" and "knaves"

Reviews

[Rindis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a popular history of the first half of the Napoleonic Era written during 1941. The author's introduction is interesting, as his main purpose is to remind the British public that they've fought a Europe united under a hostile leader, and won, before.

So, it's about 80 years old at this point, and still does fairly well. Like, say, Churchill, Bryant is opinionated, there is a moral lesson to be had, and he is not at all afraid to let his opinions be known. This volume runs from the rise of the First Republic through the Treaty of Amiens. There's two further volumes, for everything after Amiens, and the Congress of Vienna.

Overall, the writing is good, and it makes for a fairly good popular history, especially as long as you remember the point of view is going be distinctly pro-British. He does point out the economic troubles and dislocations Britain was going through (I can't speak to his thoughts on causes and outcome), and has good coverage of the mutinies in the Royal Navy. The main weakness is to see an unalterable morality underlying everything (which Britain is generally, but not inevitably, superior in); that said, one of his main critiques against Revolutionary France and Napoleon is hubris, is not a bad judgement.

I'd have to say that there's no way to give this any unqualified approval. But if you're doing a bunch of lighter reading on the period, this worth including, and if you see it for decently cheap, it'll be worth it. I got the Endeavor Press Kindle book on sale ages ago; it's no longer available, which is a pity, because the text in generally good shape for definite OCR conversion.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, pacy but not the most objective analysis. The fact that Britain was fighting against a continental despot when this was published is very obvious. This is patriotic, narrative history not so strong on causality. Despite this, it seems well researched and everything of England’s struggle with France is here. Looking forward to the next volume.

[Andy Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bryant’s book dates well and brings to life England’s great historical characters at the close of the 18th Century. It is a rattling good yarn, but the reader must be cautious. The book was written and published in 1942 for a British audience in the grip of a grim war. It was published before El Alamein - and as Churchill was to point out, before Alamein we [Britain] never had a victory. After Alamein, we never had a defeat. The Years of Endurance wrings out every possible parallel between England’s lone stands against Revolutionary France in the 18th Century and Nazi Germany in the 20th. Many of these are valid but many are tenuous at best.

This book is intended as propaganda and makes a good fist of achieving the intent. It is a wonderful narrative, but not necessarily objective history.

[Mick Maye · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first of a triology of the Napoleon/French revolution period and the conflict with England. He takes a completely British view of the events, but knowing this puts this excellent book into perspective. The book flows nicely and is a very good read.

[Rob Markley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly brilliant history. It was written in an era of light footnoting etc. and Bryant was a popular rather than academic historian, but the research is present and has proved right time and again. This is a well covered topic but never done better.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like A History of the English Speaking People by Winston Churchill, then you will love this book. The author, who is British, unabashedly heaps praises on the British people and government and has nothing but distaste for the French and their revolution. In fact, the hardest part I had to plow through was the first two chapters. The first was a long love fest with anything and everything British with the second is an stinging diatribe of both the ancien regime and the Revolution.

As it was written in 1942, you definitely get a strong vibe of the similarities that Britain faced in 1942 and in 1801.

An overall good book but not recommended as unbiased read of the Anglo-French Republic wars but still a good read if you are an Anglophile or interested in seeing how current events can sometimes leak into works of history.