Customer Reviews

Nothing But My Sword

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Good biography of a Scottish exile who achieved miliary fame in foreign service. Brother James and George Keith hailed from one of Scotland's greatest families. Unfortunately for them, they were involved in multiple failed Jacobite rebellions against the British crown. This record of dissent forced them to spend their lives in foreign service in Spain, France, Russia, and Prussia. James Keith served for many years as a general in the Russian army until the unwanted advances of the Russian Empress, Elizabeth, forced James to seek service with Frederick the Great of Prussia. He rose to the rank of Field Marshall commanding Prussia forces in several epic battles as part of the Seven Year's War until being killed by the Austrians in 1758 in the Battle of Hochkirch.

It's a good book. Lot's of good information about the Keith's from Scotland. If you are a descendant of the Keith's you will love the history. If you are just a history buff you will learn a lot about a not very well know person who had a big impact on history.

A somewhat dissapointing book. It begins almost
as a biography written by a curate of the 18th century. Nevertheless the descriptions of the Russian wars conducted by Keith against the Turks and the Swedes are revelatory. Unfortunatley the only maps provided are thoses taken from Duffy's works. In the end. it is nice to see a new biography on one of the marshals of one of History's greatest captains.