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Prince Eugene of Savoy: A Genius for War Against Louis XIV and the Ottoman Empire
Prince Eugene of Savoy-Carignan (1663-1736), French born of an Italian mother, was destined for the church, but fled France as a young man and chose the life of a soldier. He entered the service of the Habsburg Emperor Leopold I in 1683 and rose rapidly to become one of the greatest military commanders of the age, playing a leading role in the wars against both the Ottoman Turks and the French. James Falkner, in this the first full biography of Eugene to be published in English for forty years, reconstructs his military campaigns in compelling detail and describes his career as a politician and statesman.
Eugene first showed his military genius during the siege of Vienna in 1683 where the Ottoman Turkish threat to western Europe was thrown back, and he commanded the Imperial army at the resounding victory over the Ottomans at Zenta in 1697. Most famously for English readers, he joined John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough in the victory over the French at Blenheim in 1704 and served alongside Marlborough at the subsequent victories at Oudenarde and Malplaquet. His later triumph, again over the Ottomans, at the capture of Belgrade in 1717, sealed his reputation as a great captain.
A lifelong bachelor although fond of women, Eugene was both a typical hard-bitten soldier and an accomplished diplomat, as well as a great patron of the arts. His summer palace, The Belvedere in Vienna, stands today as a fine monument to this extraordinary man.
Eugene first showed his military genius during the siege of Vienna in 1683 where the Ottoman Turkish threat to western Europe was thrown back, and he commanded the Imperial army at the resounding victory over the Ottomans at Zenta in 1697. Most famously for English readers, he joined John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough in the victory over the French at Blenheim in 1704 and served alongside Marlborough at the subsequent victories at Oudenarde and Malplaquet. His later triumph, again over the Ottomans, at the capture of Belgrade in 1717, sealed his reputation as a great captain.
A lifelong bachelor although fond of women, Eugene was both a typical hard-bitten soldier and an accomplished diplomat, as well as a great patron of the arts. His summer palace, The Belvedere in Vienna, stands today as a fine monument to this extraordinary man.
232 pages, Hardcover
Published April 29, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 27, 2022
Falkner’s reputation as an authority of the War of the Spanish Succession (“Marlborough’s Wars” in more common parlance but significantly inappropriate in this case) is well established and he is the author of six other books on the period. These include the widely acclaimed Great and Glorious Days : Marlborough’s Battles 1704-1709 and The War of the Spanish Succession, 1701-1714 - both of which have been very positively reviewed in these pages. This latest book on Prince Eugene of Savoy (I KNOW it should be Eugen but he is Eugene in the book’s title so…), Marlborough’s close ally and personal friend, is well up to the standard that you might expect, and stands comparison with any of those earlier studies.
Eugene was ‘intended’ for a career in the Church but this was not to his liking and it is to the enduring gratitude of Austria and Europe that he chose another path. Most readers will automatically think of Eugene as Marlborough’s ally during periods of the War of the Austrian Succession but his career is both far longer and far more varied.
Eugene’s first military experience was at the Siege of Vienna in 1683 and well before even the outbreak of the War of The Spanish Succession he was blooded in numerous campaigns against the Ottoman Turks. It was these wars that gave him perhaps his greatest victory - a victory that would put him amongst Austria’s, if not Europe’s, Great Captains - Zenta in 1697.
Before WWII Winston Churchill bemoaned that there was no good biography of Prince Eugene available in English and although there have been at least two since that time this is the first truly military biography of the Prince, and, in the final analysis Eugene was primarily a military man. A connection and path he held to throughout his long life.
Eugene’s career was a long one, even for the period. His first field command was in 1683 against the Ottoman Turks, when he was twenty. His last was during the War of the Polish Succession in 1734, when he was seventy. This length of career alone says much about his capabilities, and he was perhaps the best General that the Habsburg Empire ever produced, as Napoleon acknowledged when listed Eugene as one of the ten greatest Generals of all time, no mean ‘recommendation’! (Although I feel his omission of Marlborough from that list may have had more to do with Marlborough being English than any comment on his abilities. Oh, before you check, no Napoleon didn’t list himself)
Written in Falkner’s easy style this book is a wonderful evocation of a man and his times and the author’s liking for his subject comes through on every page. This, coupled with Falkner’s in-depth knowledge of the period has produced a first class book, that deserves to be on the shelf of any and every reader interested in the period of Eugene’s very long military career.
If I had to have one criticism of this book it would be that I would have liked it to be at least half as long again, there is just so much more that I would have liked to know.
Unreservedly recommended!
Eugene was ‘intended’ for a career in the Church but this was not to his liking and it is to the enduring gratitude of Austria and Europe that he chose another path. Most readers will automatically think of Eugene as Marlborough’s ally during periods of the War of the Austrian Succession but his career is both far longer and far more varied.
Eugene’s first military experience was at the Siege of Vienna in 1683 and well before even the outbreak of the War of The Spanish Succession he was blooded in numerous campaigns against the Ottoman Turks. It was these wars that gave him perhaps his greatest victory - a victory that would put him amongst Austria’s, if not Europe’s, Great Captains - Zenta in 1697.
Before WWII Winston Churchill bemoaned that there was no good biography of Prince Eugene available in English and although there have been at least two since that time this is the first truly military biography of the Prince, and, in the final analysis Eugene was primarily a military man. A connection and path he held to throughout his long life.
Eugene’s career was a long one, even for the period. His first field command was in 1683 against the Ottoman Turks, when he was twenty. His last was during the War of the Polish Succession in 1734, when he was seventy. This length of career alone says much about his capabilities, and he was perhaps the best General that the Habsburg Empire ever produced, as Napoleon acknowledged when listed Eugene as one of the ten greatest Generals of all time, no mean ‘recommendation’! (Although I feel his omission of Marlborough from that list may have had more to do with Marlborough being English than any comment on his abilities. Oh, before you check, no Napoleon didn’t list himself)
Written in Falkner’s easy style this book is a wonderful evocation of a man and his times and the author’s liking for his subject comes through on every page. This, coupled with Falkner’s in-depth knowledge of the period has produced a first class book, that deserves to be on the shelf of any and every reader interested in the period of Eugene’s very long military career.
If I had to have one criticism of this book it would be that I would have liked it to be at least half as long again, there is just so much more that I would have liked to know.
Unreservedly recommended!
July 30, 2024
Rounded up from 3.5 The subtitle says it all-- a genius for war. Eugene knew how to fight, he devoted his life to the service of Austria, and did it well. He also advised his monarch about dealing with Austria'a enemies, especially France and the Ottomans with whom they constantly seemed to be at war. Probably best known for his collaboration with the Duke of Marlborough during the War of the Spanish Succession, they won some famous victories such as Blenheim before their partnership was broken when Churchill was dismissed.
Eugene became wealthy and famous during his seven decades, but that seemed to matter less than doing his duty. He never married, and was even accused of not liking women, but did have some women in his life. I think the truth was he could not let them distract him from what he felt was most important--the successful prosecution of war. Ironically, during WWII the Nazis named one of their cruisers, Prinz Eugen, which was the companion to the Bismarck for a time.
This book gives you the details about Eugene; but it could have used more maps, and was rather short for a man who accomplished so much and made such an impact.
Eugene became wealthy and famous during his seven decades, but that seemed to matter less than doing his duty. He never married, and was even accused of not liking women, but did have some women in his life. I think the truth was he could not let them distract him from what he felt was most important--the successful prosecution of war. Ironically, during WWII the Nazis named one of their cruisers, Prinz Eugen, which was the companion to the Bismarck for a time.
This book gives you the details about Eugene; but it could have used more maps, and was rather short for a man who accomplished so much and made such an impact.
January 8, 2023
A fine, if attenuated, biography of the great Austrian, one of the finest battlefield commanders of his or any age. The emphasis is martial and for good reason; despite his linkage in the English-speaking world with Marlborough, Eugene pulled off startling victories in three theaters and so preserved the Austrians for two more centuries. He also delivered the death-blow to any real Ottoman pretensions to the Central European plain. The book is imperfect; personal touches are rather limited and it is replete with typos and recycled maps. But on the whole it is a readable English-language biography of a man who really deserved one.
June 2, 2023
If you didn’t know, Prince Eugene of Savoy was one of Europe’s greatest commanders. A colossus in an era of great rivals, Eugene has been overshadowed somewhat by the Duke of Marlborough, at least in the anglophone world of most of our military history. James Falkner offers a necessary corrective in this military biography by placing Eugene firmly in the context of the wider European history while bringing to the fore his often brilliant achievements.
Falkner skips straight into the action after a brief nod to Eugene’s parentage and upbringing. Eugene, the unpromising teenager, absconded to Vienna from under Louis XIV’s uncaring nose to offer his service to the Habsburg Emperor Leopold. Thus began Eugene’s extraordinary career narrated in surefooted fashion by Falkner. Eugene arrived at an opportune moment, with the Ottoman empire expanding to the gates of Vienna. He earned his spurs in the fightback, despite his impecunity, and rose through the ranks in six years of fighting. He next campaigned against the French in Italy before taking up the command of the army in the East in 1697 at the age of just 33 years old. He subsequently destroyed the Ottomans at Zenta. But Eugene had little time to bask in his glory before being sent to command in the War of the Spanish Succession. That began in Italy with victories against the French, leading to his appointment as head of the Imperial War Council from where he could reorganise the Empire’s battered and out-dated armies.
Eugene joined the Duke of Marlborough on the Danube in 1704 to combine their armies against the French. The two great commanders established a lasting friendship that served both of them well as they swept to victory at Blenheim. Eugene then commanded Imperial forces in Italy again, giving the hapless French the runaround in what Falkner describes as an ‘astonishing campaign’. Eugene became Field-Marshal of the Empire as his reward. There followed the curiously lacklustre campaign to seize Toulon, which failed, and Eugene never again returned to Italy. Instead, he once more joined Marlborough to defeat the French at Oudenarde in 1708 and Malplaquet in 1709. Marlborough’s sacking by Queen Anne and Eugene’s failed diplomatic visit to London severely dented the Alliance’s chances of success against France. Eugene took part in further operations, but treaties and peace became the best options for all concerned. In 1715, Eugene’s attention returned to the Ottoman threat. A stunning victory at Peterwardein followed in 1716 then came the siege and capture of Belgrade. Eugene’s political fortunes failed to match his military successes, and Falkner winds down his biography with court politics reducing Eugene’s status before a comeback even as his health declined. Eugene took to the field one last time in 1734 in an inconclusive effort against the French. He died in his bed in 1736.
Despite Falkner describing Eugene as a ‘unique genius as a military commander’, this book is far from being a hagiography. Rather Falkner has written a straightforward account of Eugene of Savoy’s career that toes a central line for the most part, and you have to keep in mind that some of Eugene’s military achievements were truly astonishing. Falkner also points out Eugene’s faults, particularly his seeming ambivalence, or negligence, of courtly politics with unfortunate personal results. Falkner is also even-handed in establishing the context for Eugene’s career, with Vienna looking east at the Ottoman threat as much as anything coming from France. That reduces the anglophile emphasis on Eugene and Marlborough so common in books relating to this pivotal era in European history. If you don’t know Eugene of Savoy but keep hearing his name, then Falkner’s biography is a solid and reliable place to start.
Falkner skips straight into the action after a brief nod to Eugene’s parentage and upbringing. Eugene, the unpromising teenager, absconded to Vienna from under Louis XIV’s uncaring nose to offer his service to the Habsburg Emperor Leopold. Thus began Eugene’s extraordinary career narrated in surefooted fashion by Falkner. Eugene arrived at an opportune moment, with the Ottoman empire expanding to the gates of Vienna. He earned his spurs in the fightback, despite his impecunity, and rose through the ranks in six years of fighting. He next campaigned against the French in Italy before taking up the command of the army in the East in 1697 at the age of just 33 years old. He subsequently destroyed the Ottomans at Zenta. But Eugene had little time to bask in his glory before being sent to command in the War of the Spanish Succession. That began in Italy with victories against the French, leading to his appointment as head of the Imperial War Council from where he could reorganise the Empire’s battered and out-dated armies.
Eugene joined the Duke of Marlborough on the Danube in 1704 to combine their armies against the French. The two great commanders established a lasting friendship that served both of them well as they swept to victory at Blenheim. Eugene then commanded Imperial forces in Italy again, giving the hapless French the runaround in what Falkner describes as an ‘astonishing campaign’. Eugene became Field-Marshal of the Empire as his reward. There followed the curiously lacklustre campaign to seize Toulon, which failed, and Eugene never again returned to Italy. Instead, he once more joined Marlborough to defeat the French at Oudenarde in 1708 and Malplaquet in 1709. Marlborough’s sacking by Queen Anne and Eugene’s failed diplomatic visit to London severely dented the Alliance’s chances of success against France. Eugene took part in further operations, but treaties and peace became the best options for all concerned. In 1715, Eugene’s attention returned to the Ottoman threat. A stunning victory at Peterwardein followed in 1716 then came the siege and capture of Belgrade. Eugene’s political fortunes failed to match his military successes, and Falkner winds down his biography with court politics reducing Eugene’s status before a comeback even as his health declined. Eugene took to the field one last time in 1734 in an inconclusive effort against the French. He died in his bed in 1736.
Despite Falkner describing Eugene as a ‘unique genius as a military commander’, this book is far from being a hagiography. Rather Falkner has written a straightforward account of Eugene of Savoy’s career that toes a central line for the most part, and you have to keep in mind that some of Eugene’s military achievements were truly astonishing. Falkner also points out Eugene’s faults, particularly his seeming ambivalence, or negligence, of courtly politics with unfortunate personal results. Falkner is also even-handed in establishing the context for Eugene’s career, with Vienna looking east at the Ottoman threat as much as anything coming from France. That reduces the anglophile emphasis on Eugene and Marlborough so common in books relating to this pivotal era in European history. If you don’t know Eugene of Savoy but keep hearing his name, then Falkner’s biography is a solid and reliable place to start.
May 21, 2025
Falkner’s book falls short of being a “Full Military Biography of Prince Eugene” and I think the bibliography and notes tell the tale. Somehow Falkner wrote a biography without even relying on Eugene’s own memoirs. Instead, Falkner only ever quotes Eugene through quoting someone else’s quote of Eugene. Falkner’s over-reliance on other author’s previous studies of Eugene and other characters turns what was supposed to be a biography into a haphazard literature review. This distant approach to research causes a lack of familiarity with the era that becomes obvious with Falkner’s numerous inaccuracies such as describing the “Grand Duchy of Baden” or suggesting Austria occupied Tuscany before 1737. The writing itself is uneven and contains errors, which Falkner shouldn’t be faulted for. The publisher struggled just as much as Falkner obviously did. If anything, the uneven writing is all that saves this book from being a 1 star because the few glitzy sentences naturally stand out in what is an almost overwhelming mediocre effort at a hagiographical interpretation of Prince Eugene’s life and campaigns.
July 30, 2024
long narrative
An authoritative account of the life of Eugene covers all aspects. Unfortunately to achieve this the book is extremely long
An authoritative account of the life of Eugene covers all aspects. Unfortunately to achieve this the book is extremely long
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews