Personal observations of small campaigns of the Napoleonic age The long period of the French Revolution; the Consulate and Napoleon's First Empire was notable not as a departure from almost perpetual hostility with the British; but because upon the conclusion of hostilities in 1815 the two nations never again went to war against each other. Military first-hand accounts from this era abound; though predictably most concern the theatres of war that engaged most soldiers of both sides; the Peninsular War and the Waterloo Campaign. Unusually the author of this engaging book of diary entries; whilst a serving soldier throughout this period; saw no action in those campaigns. Dyott's first action took him to the West Indies to take part in the suppression of a mulatto and Negro revolt provoked by the French. He next joined Abercromby on the expedition to defeat Napoleon's troops in Egypt; and subsequently upon the expedition to the island of Walcheren which became an infamous military debacle exacerbated by the pestilential conditions which killed scores of British troops. Dyott provides students of the Napoleonic period with unique; detailed and telling insights into 'side-show' campaigns-rarely covered in depth by others-from the perspective of an officer of the British Army. He was a prolific diarist who wrote many volumes about his affairs up to the mid 1840s; and his substantial writing about his time as a soldier; part of the whole; has possibly been overlooked for this very reason. This unique Leonaur edition confines itself to William Dyott's military career on active service. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.
#212603 in Books Pegasus Books 2016-09-06 2016-09-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.30 x 1.30 x 5.60l; .0 #File Name: 168177206X360 pagesPegasus Books
Review
120 of 121 people found the following review helpful. Lively Events in the so-called Dark Ages!By Eric C. PetersenOne book where I think the dust jacket reviews nailed it rather well. Two chosen at random: "An utterly beguiling journey into the dark ages of the North Sea. A complete revelation. Pye writes like a dream." Or another one: "A brilliant history of the Dark Ages showing the growth and development of science; business; fashion; law; politics and other significant institutions - a joy to read and reread." The period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance that the author puts from roughly 700 CE to 1400 has traditionally been seen as a period of human stagnation - the Dark Ages. As the author shows in endless intriguing anecdotes from the era; the area surrounding the Baltic and North Seas was a very lively place. This isn't a typical political history of kings and armies; rather more of a ground-level view of what people were up to in their daily lives; how they interacted with each other on not only a local level; but more importantly; in trade and business; the tale of the Hanseatic League is fascinating - the first international trading cartel; and one with no home address. The amount of research done by the author is staggering - and what makes it so much fun to read; where and how he managed to dig up the documents; personal correspondence and other material used in the book would probably make a book in itself; and draws the reader into personal communication with individuals and an appreciation of "what was in the wind" at the time. Pye also has a sly and at times wicked sense of humor. A fun and very informative book.81 of 85 people found the following review helpful. Enlightening and Informative; But Lacks The Rigor That Would Have Made It TerrificBy Anne MillsThe premise of this book -- that the regions around the North Sea contributed much more to European culture than is generally recognized -- is a fascinating one. Indeed; I found it so fascinating that I ordered the book from the UK before it was available in the States. In terms of the author's subject matter; I was not disappointed. He does indeed examine local cultures that usually pass below the historical radar; most notably Frisia in the early middle ages; but also Flanders under the Dukes of Burgundy; and the Hansa. And he does argue convincingly that these cultures had an impact on the modernization of European culture. And; he does tell many interesting stories; and introduce many interesting people.Why then only four stars? First and foremost; Pye seems to me to overstate the strength of an overriding North Sea culture; and to overstate its impact on European history. The cultures of the Low Countries and those of Scandinavia were all trading cultures; but that doesn't make them the same thing. Nor; for me at least; does their financial orientation explain the monetization of European culture nearly as much as Pye suggests -- what about Italian banking? There is a great deal in this book; but not perhaps as much as the author implies. Secondly; as another reviewer suggests; the book is repetitive. Finally; the arguments are not always tight; and some subjects seem to be introduced simply because they are of interest; not because they have that much to do with the subject at hand.Those who are interested in emergence of European culture; particularly in its earlier phases; are likely to enjoy this book. But be prepared to take it with a grain of salt; and be prepared to skim.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. I thought this would be dry. Wonderful read!By AldisI thought this would be about each place and people around the northern sea; instead it was a much richer read about how the concepts of money; measurement; writing; mathematics began or were further developed by these cultures. The author shows how; sometimes; tiny ideas or inventions revolutionize the world. I was not interested in economics; (or so I thought); until this book. Many parts read like a novella; and the author follows historical personages and their influences which illustrated his points. I very much enjoyed the history/economic lessons here - now I am going to see what else the author has written......
