Prince Eugen of Savoy [Paperback]

Nicholas Henderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002

Napoleon Bonaparte ranked Prince Eugen of Savoy, son of a tempestuous Italian mother and a titled French father, among the seven greatest commanders of history. Frederick the Great acknowledged him as his main teacher, describing him as the 'real Emperor of the Habsburgs'. Voltaire said 'he shook the greatness of Louis XIV and the Ottoman power; he ruled the Empire and during all his victories and his ministry he scorned alike the temptations of pomp and wealth' Nicholas Henderson's biography of the man who devoted his life to the greater glory of the House of Habsburg is not only a lucid account of the public achievements of this remarkable man but it also delves into his uncertain and mysterious private life. 'I not only esteem but really love that Prince' said the Duke of Marlborough - and many others, including his life-long opponent Marshal Villars, felt the same. First published in 1964.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nicholas Henderson was born in London, 1 April 1919. Member of the Diplomatic Service 1946-79; served in Chanceries in the USA, Greece, Austria and Chile; Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary 1963-65; Minister in Spain 1965-69; Ambassador to Poland 1969-72, Germany 1972-75, and France 1975-79 and was Ambassador to Washington after retirement 1979-82. Chairman Channel Tunnel Group 1985-86. Trustee of the National Gallery 1985-89. Lord Warden of the Stannaries of the Duchy of Cornwall and vice-chairman of the Prince of Wales' council 1985-90. Former or present director of a number of companies including Hambros, Tarmac, Sotheby's and Foreign and Colonial Investment Trust.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Phoenix Press (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842125974
• ISBN-13: 978-1842125977
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,877,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank god for Henderson, October 1, 2004

By 

C. Falzone "Imperator" (San Jose, ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Prince Eugen of Savoy (Paperback)

Thank god for N. Henderson. Finding a book, any book written about the Prince are extremely hard to come by. Additionally the book is excellent. Fluid, easy reading, well done period atmosphere outline, the "times" of Eugene right up to his passing, personal anecdotes that really give you the flavor of his personality, overall balance and depth of subject all make this a 5 star selection. Now, if I can just find something like this on Turenne , I'll be set. LOL.
As a social aside, any person looking to emulate a man with integrity, loyalty, who is personally brave and honest, will be hard pressed to find one better than Eugene.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good on Eugen's character, but military skills remain mysterious, July 7, 2005

By 

Arthur Digbee (Indianapolis, IN, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Prince Eugen of Savoy (Paperback)

Henderson has written a traditional historical biography of Eugen (Eugene) of Savoy. At the time of his writing, this was the only such biography in English. This still seems to be true.

Henderson's book is much more readable than most traditional biographies, and it is even a page-turner at times. He provides good coverage of Eugen's character, and gives significant attention to his interests in architecture, art, and bibliophilia. As you might expect from a book written in the 1960s, Henderson dances around Eugen's apparent homosexuality but provides enough facts for your own evaluation.

The book's major weakness is that it lacks any explanation of Eugen's military successes. Since Henderson is not a military professional, he shied away from any analysis, and the battles mostly rest on Eugen's "brilliance" and "courage." Since Eugen's rise was predicated on his military abilities, this is an unfortunate (and glaring) omission.

Nonetheless, if you're interested in the period or the place (Austria-Hungary), this is a very useful biography of an important figure who is all too often forgotten today.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eugen of Savoy, October 16, 2005

By 

Elizabeth M. Riedel "Bruce Riedel" (Waterloo) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prince Eugen of Savoy (Paperback)

This is an excellent biography of one of the great figures of European history in the 18th century. Eugen of Savoy led Austrian Imperial armies in the Balkans, Italy and Flanders. He won great victories over the Turks and Louis XIV's France. He was the Duke of Marlborough partner at Blenhiem, Oudenarde and Malplaquet. This study gives you a full picture of this important man both on the battlefield and in his private life. A great collector and builder, Eugen left a mark on Vienna still visible today and well told in this account. Eugen's statute still towers over Budapest today, a fitting reminder of the man who taught Frederick the Great the art of war.