Warfare in the Eighteenth Century

Cassell History of Warfare

by Jeremy Black

Worldwide warfare might seem like a twentieth-century development, but the colonial empires of Europe fought wars around the globe in the eighteenth. With domains spreading to the Americas and across the Pacific Ocean to Asia, a great power such as France could find itself fighting simultaneously against England's Hanoverian king in northern Germany, in the waters of the English Channel, and on the grounds of what became Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jeremy Black explains not just the wheres and whys of those wars, but also the hows.

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

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

About the author

Jeremy Black is an English historian, who was formerly a professor of history at the University of Exeter. He is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).

Reviews

[Erikhart Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent read pulled from the discount shelves of a Harvard sidewalk bookstore. An interesting dissection of worldwide tactics, organization, and geographic factors that influence battlefields between 1680-1800. Compact, well written, and a pleasure to read. This book is also beautifully illustrated with period painting.s

[Piker7977 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, dry overview of warfare, geopolitics, and battles from the 18th century. The book does a fine job of creating a larger perspective of how European and non-European forces interacted and fought. A great deal of emphasis is placed on the development of strong, centralized nation-states that allowed for the beginnings of military-industrial complexes, advancements in logistics, and strong navies. There were strong innovations outside of Europe. In order of the big empires of the age to be successful, they discovered that they had to win the "hearts and minds" of others in order to sustain their hegemony.

Graphics and illustrations were helpful.

[K. G. Whitehurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

As solid overview of warfare in the 18th century world, there's a great deal of information, much of to spark to further investigation, in this little book. And it's not all about Europe; in fact, the Chinese empire expanded to its greatest height during this period, and the emperors did it without recourse to naval warfare. Naval warfare was the only real differential in this century between the Europeans and non-Europeans, and ever there, that statement has to be qualified because the Turks had a useable navy. Another point Black drives home throughout his text--European domination of nonEuropeans was not inevitable, nor was it inevitable that the British would drive off the French in North America and India and win naval superiority in Europe. Black gives the political, intellectual and technological contexts their due. Another point rammed home--all glory is fleeting. Peoples and countries change strategy and tactics as necessary; a superior tactic isn't likely to remain so for very long, particularly in Europe which was so highly competitive.

[Anton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black hurtles through the eighteenth century at breakneck speed trying to cram as much into his 200-odd pages as possible, and yet manages to paint a detailed and nuanced picture of the global state and evolution of warfare in the period. A tightly structured masterwork.

One thing I really enjoy about Jeremy Black is how he's so often including the military endeavours of non-European countries in his work without being obnoxious and post-modern about it. It's simply delightful to read about eskimo guerillas, massed Ottoman armies, New England minutemen, and how they all relate to each other.

[Gerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author tells us he will attempt to cover warfare in the 18th Century worldwide; that is, he will not just concentrate on European Wars. He kept his promise. Even the North American and Hawaiian peoples get their mention. Trouble is, there is little detail; much of it is just wars and battles, which is just about all one can squeeze into a small volume of just over two hundred pages. Any given power seems to lose as many battles as it wins, or wins as many battles as it loses. Just read the last chapter, "Conclusion: The World Picture" to get the "so what." The century was significant in many of its political results.

[Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of warfare in that century. Not too much information about naval warfare...

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the era. I liked the attention paid to non-European armies.

[Rob Markley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor coverage. Barely Readers Digest level stuff. Did he do any research to write this?

[Garion Bracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always found it hard to read history. And don't get me wrong this book is verging on typical history book in format. But he does get into some interesting stuff. It's just worth reading. Especially given it's a time when the West we know was shaped. Loved it.

[Steven]

Good coverage on an international scope as to the events taking place in this favorite era of mine. Good issue in this series by the renown Smithsonian.

[SpyroNinja · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The major problem with the literature on the period is its Eurocentricity." Thankfully that seems to be the author's most pressing concern with presenting the information here.