List Price: $69.95
Save: $20.83 (30%)

FREE Shipping.

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Want it tomorrow, April 6? Order within and choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Ship to:

Select a shipping address:

Buy Used

$40.18

+ $3.99 shipping

Used: Like New | Details

Sold by ---SuperBookDeals

Condition: Used: Like New

Comment: Unread copy in perfect condition.

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

Fight for a Throne: The Jacobite '45 Reconsidered Hardcover – September 19, 2015

by Christopher Duffy (Author)

2 customer reviews

See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Hardcover, September 19, 2015

"Please retry"

$49.12

$32.99

$40.18

Hardcover
$49.12 4 Used from $40.18 18 New from $32.99

The bid of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobites for the throne of Britain has never lost its grip on the popular imagination. In July 1745 he and a tiny group of companions arrived in Scotland. They came unannounced and unsupported, and yet within less than five months Charles was able to lead an army to within marching distance of London and make King George II fear for this throne. Afterwards the Highland Army continued to out-fight the redcoats in every encounter, except its very last. These were not the achievements of a backward-looking cause, and this groundbreaking study is the first to explain exactly why.

Almost to the very end the Jacobites had the literal and metaphorical ‘edge’ over their enemies, thanks to the terror-inspiring highland charge, and also, as this book as this book is the first to reveal, to the highly advanced organization of their forces in ‘divisions’ – miniature armies that allowed them to out maneuver their enemies on the strategic plane. At the same time Prince Charles made a credible bid for the political and ideological high ground, an appeal based on religious toleration, and a monarchy working in cooperation with an empowered and accountable Parliament. The Prince therefore not only drew on traditional loyalties, but attracted the support of heavyweights of the new ‘Enlightenment’. It all made a telling contrast to the demeaning nature of the Hanoverian government in Britain, which was mired deep in corruption. The Hanoverian politicians in London and Scotland, who had honed their skills in petty advantage, were now all of a sudden called upon to act as strategists, and they failed completely. The prime minister lost the Carlisle to the Jacobites simply because he refused to pay the cost of a courier. These revelations, which show the Jacobite enterprise of 1745 as a potent and modernizing force, turn the accepted interpretation of this episode on its head.

As an impartial historian Christopher Duffy deals comprehensively with the reasons for ultimate triumph of the Hanoverian cause in 1746. Due credit is given to the Duke of Cumberland. He was an inspirational leader. He had the measure of the strength and weaknesses of the British Army, and he evolved the cautious and systematic kind of war that helped to bring him victory at Culloden on 16 April 1746. Conversely the Jacobites had been dogged even from the start of the Rising by their failure to reconcile two perspectives – that of Prince Charles, who was striving to reclaim the crown for the Stuarts in London, and the narrower visions of the more overtly Scottish party. It led to the contentious turnaround of the Jacobites at Derby, and finally and fatally to the dispersal and exhaustion of the Highland Army before Culloden.

These assertions rest on the recent advances by other historians in ‘Jacobite studies’, and the author’s continuing researches in to unexploited primary sources. His documentary finds extend to the autobiography of Lieutenant-General Hawley, Lord George Murray’s explanations of key episodes of the Rising (and his detailed accompanying map of Culloden), the material collected by the restored Whig administration in Edinburgh towards an ‘official’ history of the Rising, the Reverend John Home’s detailed questioning of survivors, and much more. Lastly Duffy returns to his starting point, the enduring appeal of the ’45 to our instincts. He concludes that it comes from the elusive nature of the episode, recognized by tough-minded men of the time as something ‘epic’ and ‘miraculous’ – literally beyond rational explanation, and capable ever since of being refashioned according to our imaginings.

REVIEWS

One wonders what would have happened had Prince Charles finally beaten George II's Redcoats - this is a superb examination of Charles's claim to the throne and how he very nearly claimed it.
Books Monthly

Fight for a Throne: The Jacobite '45 Reconsidered

$49.12 FREE Shipping. In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

James Falkner

2

Hardcover
$35.61
Tim Blanning

4

Hardcover
$20.83
Simon MacDowall

6

Paperback
$16.13
Frederick C. Schneid
Hardcover
$34.95
David A. Powell

21

Hardcover
$26.79
Keith Flint

3

Paperback
$17.95

NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Product Details

Hardcover: 680 pages
Publisher: Helion and Company (September 19, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1910777056
ISBN-13: 978-1910777053
Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 7 x 10.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #331,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #139 in Books > History > Europe > Great Britain > Scotland
- #12025 in Books > History > World

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars

5 star		50%
4 star		50%
3 star		0%
2 star		0%
1 star		0%

See both customer reviews

Share your thoughts with other customers

Write a customer review

Top Customer Reviews

Excellent, but not the definitive history...yet.

By Michael Mcdaniel on January 28, 2016

Verified Purchase

"Fight for a Throne" is a revised, expanded edition of Duffy's previous work on the Jacobite War of 1745-46. It incorporates a significant amount of new information, particularly on the plans and motivations of the Government forces. And it retains the extraordinarily detailed information on the terrain and weather. As a purely military history, it's a masterpiece.

However, Clausewitz pointed out that war was an extension of politics, and this book would be improved by additional material on the political situation. This is particularly true for American readers, whose knowledge of British history frequently has a large gap between the death of Queen Elizabeth I and the events leading to the American Revolution. A chapter presenting the background would be welcome. Also, there are significant strategic questions left unanswered. Why did Prince Charles Edward Stuart think that 1745 was an opportune moment to strike? Was any consideration given to making this a limited war to seize control of Scotland alone? And the greatest question, how did the Stuarts think they would be able to hold power, given that they expected French help to gain the throne? There may be no answers...which itself indicates poor strategic planning.

Hopefully, Christopher Duffy will write a third volume that will add the political perspective needed to understand not merely what happened, but why - and what lessons can be drawn from it.

Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Report abuse

Between 45 and this book one can have a good grasp of the

By K. Dargan on February 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

Duffy does it again. Between 45 and this book one can have a good grasp of the situation

Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Report abuse

See both customer reviews (newest first)

Write a customer review

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more

This item: Fight for a Throne: The Jacobite '45 Reconsidered

Set up a giveaway