Thanks Net Galley for the ARC.

What? You don't use Net Galley?!?!?!?

History that doesn't read like history, by that I mean dry and dusty! This is a much appreciated foray into what was known as The Spanish War. It is masterfully retold not as I said with dry facts and maps but with the detailed accounts of those who were there and participated.with the reader gaining an intimate view with all the personal accounts included in the book. Like I said I PREFER/ENJOY history books but they can be so painful to read, the “Marlborough’s Wars” is anything but that kind of journey. Five stars.

Most of it is his war with France. The good and bad of what he was able and not able to do. Pretty much every page has some sort of primary text. If English and French military history are of interest this can help.

History is always best when seen through the eyes of those who were present, and the author has representation from both sides of the battlefields. In the center of it all is the Duke of Marlborough. One can only marvel at the many years of his life he gave to try to bring an end to The Spanish War, which was fought to keep separate the thrones of France and Spain and to determine who should sit upon the Spanish throne.

Mr. Falkner readily explains the Duke of Marlborough’s military expertise, and a good example of this is the detail of the campaign of 1704 and Marlborough’s subsequent push to winter in France in the Moselle valley. His views are supported by the many excerpts from diaries, letters, and notes that continually fill the pages of this book. The author inserts his descriptions between the first-hand accounts, helping to ensure the recounting is as smooth as possible.

While Marlborough and the Allied forces were fighting in the east, battles were happening in Spain and the author includes a final chapter detailing what happened in the west. Comparing what Marlborough accomplished in his battles versus what happened in Spain only sharpen the image of a great general.

Much appreciated was the extensive bibliography as well as a helpful index. This is a grand retelling of The Spanish War, with the reader gaining an intimate view with all the personal accounts included in the book. While some history books can be dry and extremely difficult to wade through, “Marlborough’s Wars” is anything but. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pen In Sword/Pen In Sword Military for an advance electronic copy of this book.

History for the non-historian! A first-rate recounting of Marlborough's pivotal campaigns and epic battles, with the added pleasure of many excerpts from not only the subject's letters but those of other officers and common soldiers. The letter describing the depredations of the billeted Grenadiers Rouge was a highlight. The author has not fallen into the I-know-more-than-you trap. Reading thiis excellent history was like talking to a (very knowledgeable) friend.. I cannot speak to scholarly accuracy, but for sheer readability and enjoyment, Marlborough's Wars would be hard to top.