The events of the American Revolution signified by Lexington, Bunker Hill, Valley Forge, Saratoga, and Yorktown are familiar to American readers. Far less familiar is the fact that, for the British, the American colonies were only one front in a world war. England was also pitted against France and Spain. Not always in command of the seas and threatened with invasion, England tried grimly for eight years to subdue its rebellious colonies; to hold Canada, the West Indies, India, and Gibraltar; and to divide its European enemies. In this vivid history Piers Mackesy views the American Revolution from the standpoint of the British government and the British military leaders as they attempted to execute an overseas war of great complexity. Their tactical response to the American Revolution is now comprehensible, seen as part of a grand imperial strategy.
This richly detailed account reveals how Sir Ralph Abercromby's strategy restored the honour of the British army and averted disaster for the Empire. In 1800 the British army's reputation was in tatters, having experienced nothing but failure in wars across the world for forty years. At home, a divided Cabinet had to face the problem of Egypt, which had been occupied by Napoleon's Army of the Orient since 1798. The momentous task of ejecting France fell to a disparate band of soldiers led by Sir Ralph Abercromby, an elderly general with a dubious military record. Yet, against all the odds, Abercromby's force decisively defeated the French army on 21 March 1801, bringing Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign to a definitive and crushing end. Piers Mackesy vividly brings to life the events of the battle and the characters involved, revealing how Abercromby's carefully planned and brilliantly executed strategy, and the discipline of the soldiers he had welded into cohesion, restored the honour of the British army, averted disaster for the Empire, and set the standard by which all future battles would be fought.
In 1800 the British Army was the laughing-stock of Europe. A year later, after forty years of failure, its honour and reputation had been redeemed. British Victory in Egypt, 1801 recounts and analyses the story of the expeditionary force that ejected Bonaparte's crack troops from Egypt. Piers Mackesy shows how the future of the British Empire depended on the dislodging of the Napoleonic force in the Middle East. Outlining the daring assault and the masterly planning and discipline that brought victory against the odds, this book also reveals how vital Sir Ralph Abercromby, an elderly Scot and leader of the army, was to the final success of the venture. The part played in the victory by the Highland regiments is still celebrated in Scotland. British Victory In Egypt, 1801 charts a critical episode in European and military history. It also reveals the training, tactics and strategy of a unique campaign and its executors.
In 1800 the British Army was the laughing-stock of Europe. A year later, after forty years of failure, its honour and reputation had been redeemed. British Victory in Egypt, 1801 recounts and analyses the story of the expeditionary force that ejected Bonaparte's crack troops from Egypt. Piers Mackesy shows how the future of the British Empire depended on the dislodging of the Napoleonic force in the Middle East. Outlining the daring assault and the masterly planning and discipline that brought victory against the odds, this book also reveals how vital Sir Ralph Abercromby, an elderly Scot and leader of the army, was to the final success of the venture. The part played in the victory by the Highland regiments is still celebrated in Scotland. British Victory In Egypt, 1801 charts a critical episode in European and military history. It also reveals the training, tactics and strategy of a unique campaign and its executors.
The events of the American Revolution signified by Lexington, Bunker Hill, Valley Forge, Saratoga, and Yorktown are familiar to American readers. Far less familiar is the fact that, for the British, the American colonies were only one front in a world war. England was also pitted against France and Spain. Not always in command of the seas and threatened with invasion, England tried grimly for eight years to subdue its rebellious colonies; to hold Canada, the West Indies, India, and Gibraltar; and to divide its European enemies. In this vivid history Piers Mackesy views the American Revolution from the standpoint of the British government and the British military leaders as they attempted to execute an overseas war of great complexity. Their tactical response to the American Revolution is now comprehensible, seen as part of a grand imperial strategy.
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