Culloden

by Trevor Royle

Overview

The Battle of Culloden in 1746 has gone down in history as the last major battle fought on British soil: a vicious confrontation between the English Royal Army and the Scottish forces supporting the Stuart claim to the throne. The battle was also part of a much larger campaign to protect the British Isles from the growing threat of a French invasion. In Trevor Royle's vivid and evocative narrative, we are drawn into the ranks on both sides. Royle also takes us beyond the battle as the men of the Royal Army, galvanized by its success at Culloden, expand dramatically and start to fight campaigns overseas in America and India in order to secure British interests. We see the revolutionary use of fighting techniques first implemented at Culloden, and we see the creation of professional fighting forces. Royle's lively and provocative history looks afresh at the period and unveils its true significance, not only as the end of a struggle for the throne but the beginning of a new global power.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681775678
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	12/12/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	639,420
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Trevor Royle is a well-known writer and broadcaster specializing in military history. His previous books include Crimea, The Civil War: The War of the Three Kingdoms, and The Wars of the Roses. He is a script writer for the BBC and a columnist for the Edinburgh Sunday Herald, writing on international affairs and defense-related topics. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements vii

Prologue 1

1 The heaviest Curse that can befall an unhappy People 7

2 Like the savage race they roam for prey 39

3 The end of a bad business 67

4 Bruise those Bad Seeds spread about this country 95

5 Learning the lessons the hard way 125

6 Over the Mountains and Over the Main 155

7 The World at War: North America 185

8 Paths of Glory 215

9 Winning the West: Canada and the Caribbean 245

10 The World at War: India 273

11 The World at War: Europe 303

12 Forty Years On: The End of an Old Song 331

Notes 361

Bibliography 381

Index 391

Editorial Reviews

A good, reliable history of the wars that ended in 1763 with the resounding British victories that led to the Treaty of Paris. Separate chapters covering the fighting in Europe, North America, and India feature first-rate accounts of the major battles at Plassey, Minden, and Quebec.

Michigan War Studies Review

Excellent account.

Alex Massie - Sunday Telegraph

This lively, exciting book is the perfect introduction to Culloden and why it matters. Trevor Royle, a military historian, is a lucid, elegant writer who excels at explaining the tactics and techniques of warfare and the dynamics of battle.

BBC History Magazine

Refreshing, incisive… Royle’s vivid narrative of the Jacobite rebellion resembles a picaresque novel.

Lawrence James - The Times (London)

"Brilliant and engaging, Royle places Culloden and its aftermath into its true military and social context. The narrative is alive with a passion for the subject." —Library Journal Starred Review

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2016
The Battle of Culloden in 1746 was the last major struggle fought on British ground, and its tragic consequences for the French-supported Jacobites are frequently surrounded by myth. In his most recent work, military historian Royle (The Road to Bosworth Field) dispels the legends, and persuasively argues that Culloden was the beginning of a greater campaign by the British to eliminate the threat of imminent French invasion and weaken the possibility of future Catholic interference in British affairs. Royle contends that, having contained these threats, Britain could then focus on expanding its global influence. Many of the British officers who fought at Culloden subsequently used the experience to eliminate the French presence in British North America, the Caribbean, and India, thus sowing the seeds of the British Empire. Brilliant and engaging, Royle places Culloden and its aftermath into its true military and social context. The narrative is alive with a passion for the subject. VERDICT A marvelous introduction to Culloden for a wide range of readers, this book deserves a place in all types of library collections.—Penelope J.M. Klein, Fayetteville, NY

Library Journal