A History of the British Army – Vol. II

A History of the British Army #2

by John William Fortescue

Sir John Fortescue holds a pre-eminent place amongst British military historians, his enduring fame and legacy resting mainly on his life’s work “The History of the British Army”, issued in 20 volumes, which took him some 30 years to complete. In scope and breadth it is such that no modern scholar has attempted to cover such a large and diverse subject in its entirety; but Sir John did so and with aplomb, leading to a readable and comprehensive study.According to Professor Emeritus of Military History at King’s College, Brian Bond, the work was “the product of indefatigable research in original documents, a determination to present a clear, accurate, and readable narrative of military operations, and a close personal knowledge of the battlefields, which enabled him to elucidate his account with excellent maps. Most important, however, was his namely, a lifelong affection for the old, long-service, pre-Cardwell army, the spirit of the regiments of which it largely consisted, and the value of its traditions to the nation. An important part of his task was to distil and inculcate these soldierly virtues which, in his conservative view, contrasted sharply with the unedifying character of politicians who habitually meddled in military matters.” ODNB.This second volume covers the period from 1713 to 1763, including the Jacobite rebellion of 1715, the wars of Austrian Succession, and British expansion into America and India and the enduring struggle with France for Imperial power.A MUST READ for any military enthusiast.Author — Fortescue, J. W. Sir, 1859-1933.Text taken, whole and complete, from the second edition published in 1910, London, by Macmillan and Co.Original Page Count – xxii and 606 pages.Illustrations — Numerous maps and plans

545 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2013

About the author

The fifth son of Hugh, third Earl Fortescue, by his wife, Georgiana, John William Fortescue was brought up at Castle Hill, the family seat at Filleigh. He was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1878, leaving to read law. In 1880 he became private secretary to Sir William Robinson, governor of the Windward Islands. He returned to complete his degree at Cambridge, and then spent four years in New Zealand as private secretary to the governor, Sir William Jervois, during which he began writing. He was best known for this multivolume history of the British Army, which was published in thirteen volumes between 1899 and 1930.