MARCH 2018 - AudioFile
John Telfer’s masterful reading of Roy and Lesley Adkins’s history of the 1779-83 Spanish siege of British-held Gibraltar is a model of audiobook technique. The Adkins’s account relies heavily on historical journals and first-person reports, many in the more elevated diction and formal syntax of that time. Telfer enhances rather than subdues these passages, setting them off from the more neutral modern narrative. The effect is singular, and the story he tells is itself amazing, filled with action and human drama, a tale of genuine consequence. Did the British trade defeat in North America for victory in the Mediterranean? Telfer's expert reading captures the heat and uncertainty of unfolding events, and leaves listeners with something to think about. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
02/19/2018
The Adkinses (Jane Austen’s England) offer an alternative to the repetitive accounts of field operations that often dominate military histories of the 18th century: a page-turning tale of one of the era’s longest and most significant sieges, described from the perspective of those who lived through it and situated in wider military and diplomatic contexts. Gibraltar, a small territory at the bottom of the Iberian peninsula that’s considered the key to the western Mediterranean, had been in British hands since 1704. Spain attempted to retake it during the American Revolution; in June 1779, the Great Siege began. As the noose around Gibraltar tightened over the next three and a half years, sicknesses and shortages overshadowed battle and bombardment. A particular strength of this work is its domestic dimension; the besieged had ample time to write, and to air fears and grievances. The authors use primary accounts to bring to life the experience of Gibraltar’s residents, including the roughly 1,500 wives and children of soldiers who lived there, and demonstrate that Gibraltar’s defense depended more on endurance than heroics. Specialists may find little new material, but this well organized, fast-paced book is a worthwhile addition to the literature on a still-neglected subject. Agent: Kate Hibbert. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
A page-turning tale of one of the era’s longest and most significant sieges . . . this well organized, fast-paced book is a worthwhile addition to the literature on a still-neglected subject.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The husband-and-wife historian team once again exhibit their talent for enlivening British history. . . . Many readers will wonder why this episode hasn't been made into a movie, with all the heroics of soldiers, civilians, and, especially, families. Thankfully, the authors had a vast trove of letters and diaries of those who lived through the siege, and they use them to great effect. . . . The story is as compelling as it is fantastic—page-turning history of one of the most important eras of Western civilization.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A lively and compelling narrative, laying bare the grim realities of the siege, from the grinding everyday hardships of hunger and cold to the numbing terror of incessant bombardment . . . in their fine book, such indelible episodes go far to explain why Gibraltar’s long ordeal captured the imagination of contemporaries—and why the Rock’s future continues to matter to Britons and Spaniards today.”
—Stephen Brumwell, The Wall Street Journal
“One of those finely researched, richly detailed, seemingly narrow histories that opens surprising vistas in our understanding of great events . . . a true epic, and one that would make a terrific miniseriest.”
—David Walton, Dallas Morning News
“This intense account portrays the hero'sm and sufferings of the defenders while offering interesting vignettes that cover intriguing personalities on both sides. The Adkinses have created an absorbing examination of an important episode in British and European history.”
—Jay Freeman, Booklist
“Well-researched and briskly written . . . the Adkinses point out, some [British] politicians believed that ‘the possession of America has been sacrificed to the retention of Gibraltar.’ . . . Worthy of the most melodramatic Hollywood blockbuster.”
—Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times (UK)
“Fascinating . . . timely.”
—Tony Rennell, Daily Mail (UK)
“This book is a fascinating, well-crafted account of a siege that defined Britishness, and shaped the strategy of the next four major wars.”
—Andrew Lambert, BBC History Magazine
"Gibraltar is one of the few works of popular history that can truly claim to bring an untold story to the attention of modern audiences. For fans of eighteenth century warfare or the American Revolution, I cannot recommend it highly enough. For others, Gibraltar provides a fascinating introduction to the diplomacy, warfare, and world that existed at the time of America’s war for independence, and may even have led directly to its success."
—Concerning History
“Daring sea battles, flaming shipwrecks and an attempted invasion of England: all feature in this spirited retelling of the late-18th century Siege of Gibraltar. . . . Roy and Lesley Adkins’ account never loses sight of the human story at the heart of an extraordinary international incident.”
—History Revealed
“An enthralling and colorful history told with human stories at its heart, providing insight into a little-discussed period of Britain’s past. The repercussions of which we are still experiencing today.”
—Family Tree
“Another epic and illuminating look at Britain’s past from Roy and Lesley Adkins, masters of the historical narrative. Ordinary mortals in extraordinary circumstances leap off the pages.”
—Quarterdeck
“With plenty of drama to draw upon and an impressive commitment to research, this is a book to delight the military history enthusiast.”
—History of War
MARCH 2018 - AudioFile
John Telfer’s masterful reading of Roy and Lesley Adkins’s history of the 1779-83 Spanish siege of British-held Gibraltar is a model of audiobook technique. The Adkins’s account relies heavily on historical journals and first-person reports, many in the more elevated diction and formal syntax of that time. Telfer enhances rather than subdues these passages, setting them off from the more neutral modern narrative. The effect is singular, and the story he tells is itself amazing, filled with action and human drama, a tale of genuine consequence. Did the British trade defeat in North America for victory in the Mediterranean? Telfer's expert reading captures the heat and uncertainty of unfolding events, and leaves listeners with something to think about. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2017-12-10
The husband-and-wife historian team once again exhibit their talent for enlivening British history.This time, the Adkins writing team (Jane Austen's England, 2013, etc.) looks at the 1779-1783 siege of Gibraltar, which, at three years and seven months, was the longest siege in British history and played a significant role in the success of the American Revolution. As America's ally, France declared war on England and enlisted Spain to join them in attempting an invasion of Britain. After that plan failed, the next step was to take the most strategic spot in the Mediterranean, Gibraltar. Protecting the rock and rebuffing convoy attempts to resupply it took thousands of men, ships, and armaments desperately needed across the Atlantic. Many of those convoys never made it to Gibraltar, intercepted by Spanish or French fleets. As English Adm. George Darby initiated a relief convoy, it enabled the French commander to slip away and arrive in time to be the deciding factor in the capitulation at Yorktown. Many readers will wonder why this episode hasn't been made into a movie, with all the heroics of soldiers, civilians, and, especially, families. Thankfully, the authors had a vast trove of letters and diaries of those who lived through the siege, and they use them to great effect. The most telling is that of the wife of Gibraltar's chief engineer, William Green. She describes what might be called the phony war, as Spain tried to starve out the garrison and engaged in near-incessant bombardment. They paused only briefly each afternoon, for siesta. The inhabitants of Gibraltar fought hunger, typhus, and smallpox in addition to abject fear. During the seemingly interminable siege, both sides came up with new and deadly inventions: English exploding shells, a forerunner of shrapnel, gunboats, and French floating batteries. Equally notable is one of the most famous sorties in military history.The story is as compelling as it is fantastic—page-turning history of one of the most important eras of Western civilization.
