This arrived a few days ago. Bought in one of Helion’s rolling sales. Well worth the money.
I’ve read it a couple of times before. Once in the university library, when I should have been reading some dry text on Early Modern Mediterranean agriculture, during the early part of Thatch’s reign. And once a few years ago through the inter-library lending scheme. Originally published back in the early 60s, when second-hand copies did come on to the market in recent years the asking price was steep. Some years ago a publisher brought out a facsimile version but from what I heard the print quality and clarity of the maps suffered. So I waited. And waited.
This one is a new edition dated 2019. I haven’t read the previous edition enough to spot the differences, but the new one has a fascinating little introduction by Duffy. It includes a revealing snapshot of how you got things done in the Viennese culture of the time (that rings bells for the way things are now in many countries).
A great read. Inspiration for some of the less popular theatres of 18th century warfare. I’ll say this again, it’s worth the money. What would we do without Dr Duffy?
Without Duffy, we would have a lot less knowledge of the armies and battles of the SYW. THe new edition of Instruments of War appeared in my mailbox this week. I look for a time when I make make a comparison of the two editions of this tome.
ReplyDeleteHi Jonathan. IoW and Helion gets a mention in the introduction. It’s a monumental work. Not so easy to read as the more narrative volumes, but plenty to get your teeth into.
DeleteSo true about Duffy not to mention his works on the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745.
DeleteI used to borrow the Uni library copy in Edinburgh back in the day and have been waiting for a new edition too. I am sorely tempted. The other distracting read/borrow from the same institution was Rothenbergs book on the Military Border.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know the Rothenbergs book. Is it in English?
DeleteIt used to fascinate me why the university I was at had a copy of the Wild Goose and the Eagle. There was no hint of a military history course and I couldn’t match the book up to any of the Early Modern lecturers’ research interests. The nearest was a German academic who specialised in the Thirty Years War.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/article/3-the-military-border-in-croatia-17401881-a-study-of-an-imperial-institution-by-gunther-e-rothenberg-chicago-and-london-university-of-chicago-press-1966-pp-224-37s-6d/0A3353F1D436E31A8447535E4EA03CA9
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated too why the uni kept these books too. I think I was about the only one who borrowed them.
Thanks Alan. I’ll have to take a peak at the later on.
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