Featured battle : Danzig

Part of The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Date : 10 March 1807

The fortified port city of Danzig was well stocked but inadequately manned the optimum being 40,000 troops. Attempts to relieve it by sea were foiled when the French took many of the off shore islands. Most of the troops were evacuated two days before the surrender which Napoleon accepted on generous terms for the Prussians because he was anxious to get control of the port.

The Forgotten War against Napoleon

Gareth Glover
Initially I was confused. I'm not sure what I expected but it wasn't this. It didn't seem like a Gareth Glover, a writer I admire immensely. It is about conflicts around the Mediterranean which I knew of and were in no way forgotten. The chapters were short and pithy, with a wealth of footnotes. However once I got into the swing of the book, and it does swing along, I found I was greatly enjoying it. In effect it became a Gareth Glover. It is written in a most readable style with loads of well researched information. The book has 56 chapters, the shortest only one page long, 16 illustrations, all contemporary with the events, and 33 maps.
For me the true value of this book is that it connects events which are most usually only studied in isolation. What the author has demonstrated is the inter-connection between seeming disparate events. The connection coming about because they are on or of the Mediterranean.
When I finished this book I was sorry it wasn't longer. It is a tour de force and reminded me of areas which I now want to revisit and to read more about in greater detail. It is an excellent overview. The only thing wrong with it is the title.

Pen & Sword Military. Pen & Sword \Books \Ltd., 2017