Customer Reviews

The '45: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Untold Story of the Jacobite Rising

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Christopher Duffy has written a thorough and readable history of the Jacobite rising of 1745-6. He explains the historical context for the rebellion and in great detail describes the events and the battles which took place. In doing so he exposes many of the myths which have developed over time about Bonnie Prince Charlie, his army and his cause. Duffy shows that the Jacobites were made up of people from all over the British Isles not just Highlanders; that this was not straightforwardly a fight between England and Scotland, for many Scots supported the Hanoverians and many English supported the Stuarts. The rebellion was thus a British civil war, a conflict between dynasties.

One of the best aspects of the book is the analysis of how nearly the Jacobites succeeded. Duffy shows that the rising was not some hopelessly romantic, doomed from the start attempt to restore a lost cause. The Jacobites reached as far as Derby in the English Midlands and if they had pressed on to London, as Prince Charles wanted, they might have won. Duffy shows that there was little in their way, and that the outcome although far from certain, offered a realistic chance of success. The decision to retreat from Derby was therefore truly momentous for from that moment the rising was bound to fail eventually.

In his account it is clear where Duffy's sympathies lie, though he never ceases to be objective. It is obvious that he considers the Jacobite cause, of restoring the Stuarts, to be essentially just and that the George II, the Elector of Hanover was the real usurper. It is certainly true that "young pretender" had a better hereditary claim to the throne than the man who was sitting on it. In general Bonnie Prince Charlie comes out well from Duffy's account. He is shown to be an able military leader who inspired his forces and very nearly won a kingdom.

Duffy's book is well illustrated and has many useful maps. There are a number of typographical errors, but nothing that gets in the way of understanding the text. This is probably the best account of the '45 available, written by a military historian who really understands the period.

This book, written by one of the premier British military historians, presents the most detailed history of the Jacobite war of 1745-46 in print. It's extremely detailed, with some interesting insights into the effects of terrain - Scotland in the mid 18th century being a very different place, with far fewer roads and far fewer people than the modern UK.

If you are looking for a history of the general period, or of the Highland Clearances, this book is not it. But if you are a hard-core military history student, wanting a really fine-grained history of the conflict, Duffy's work will answer your needs.

Most books dealing with the 1745-46 rebellion maintain a steady focus on Prince Charles Edward Stuart while others deal strictly with Culloden, the penultimate engagement of that campaign. Christopher Duffy's book is EVENT focussed rather than personality driven and as such places the famed Bonnie Prince in context of the events that swirled around his ill-fated attempt to recapture the British throne for the House of Stuart. Eschewing romanticism, the reader is treated to a highly datailed, map laden treasure trove of knowledge conveyed by this master of 18th century warfare. Weapons and tactics, the weather and landscape, civilians,the common soldiers on both sides, Generals Cope, Wade, Murray, Hawley, Lord Loudon, and, of course, the Duke of Cumberland are all pictured amidst the rise and fall of the fortunes of war. The comprehensive treatment yields a full picture of the rebellions impact across the landscape of Scotland in areas where the Stuart Prince never went. For example, we learn of Jacobites in Orkney, naval engagements that were key in depriving the Jacobite forces of much needed supplies and gold, and even read that the remote islands of St. Kilda were briefly and non-violently touched by what transpired. The bibliograpy and accompanying footnotes could prove invaluable to those wishing to learn more about the 1745-46 campaign.

The aborted Jacobite march on London is fully covered and I think the author correctly concludes that the decision to turn back at Derby doomed the Stuart cause and represented a major loss of momentum that could never be regained, no matter what future victories loomed. If there is one criticism of this book, I think the placement of the account of the Battle of Prestonpans at the start of the work detracted from the chronological flow of events since that happened after the gathering at Glenfinnan. Placing it early in the narrative works as a literary device to draw the reader in but one feels its abscence in the ensuring text. That is a miniscule fault though compared to all that this book achieves and all I learned from it. Thank you Christopher Duffy.

Overall, I found Christopher Duffy's book on the Jacobite Rising of 1745 to be an excellent accounting of the events. The author reflects on his massive knowledge of 18th century warfare as he writes. He joined Stuart Reid in downplaying Lord George Murray while upgrading Prince Charles' abilities and leadership skills. The book reads like a revisionist point of view due to that stance. The author also considered all the options available to Prince Charles and his allies and discussed their options with clarity. The author's military aspects of the book proves to be superbly written, analysized and research. Its a thick book so military narrative proves to be detailed. The author also gives plenty of background material on Jacobites conspiracies prior to 1745 for a better understanding of the situation. The reader will get a clear and understandable perceptive of the military affair of the Jacobite revolt of 1745. In this aspects, the book is one of the best ever written.

Where I have a bone to pick with Mr. Duffy lies in his political assessment and his pro-Jacobite leaning reflecting that. While he's never openly biased regarding military matters, he seem to be very biased politically toward Charles and his Jacobite revolt. In choosing to called the British government troops and generals "Hanoverians" is pretty cheap and historically inaccurate. George II is second king of the new dynasty. His right to British kingdom is beyond doubt much like Henry V stood clear of his father, Henry IV who took the throne from Ricahrd II. Catholic House of Stuart have no true claims anymore and Jacobite forces were rebels forces fighting against a legal British government and her troops. Mr. Duffy also forgot (which seem bit weird to point this out) at what ease Prince Charles' grandfather, King James II was driven out from his throne during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. That itself should remind the author that Britain will never tolerate a Catholic ruler. Even if the Jacobite won London, chased George II out, it would only be matter of time before the nation aroused itself against a Catholic prince and then there will be another "Glorious Revolution". Outcome of the the 1745 revolt was doomed to began with. It was only matter of time. What surprised me a little is why someone like Christopher Duffy don't seem to understand that.

The book reflects strongly on the military aspects of the campaign but poorly on the political aspects due to the author's lack of perception. Considering that the author is considered to be one of the foremost historians of this period and an Englishman, I found his lack of perception puzzling. Still, the book come highly recommended because its more of a military history book and that is where the book remains strong. The political aspects appears to be reflect the author's personal opinion and thankfully, it not reflected too often in the book. "Hanoverian" term remains one of the consistence reminder of author's biased.

A well read individual on this subject should benefit greatly from reading this book. (I leaned toward 4 Stars instead of 3 due to military narrative of the book.)