Marlborough: His Life and Times, Book One

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Summary: Churchill, Champion of the Augustan Era
Review: John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, is the uncontested military genius of late Stuart England, the uncrowned political/military heir to William of Orange and the famous ancestor of Winston Churchill. In tandem with Austria's general, Eugen of Savoy, he led the coalition armies in the War of the Spanish Succession, defeating in detail several of Louis XIV's French and Bavarian armies, most famously at Blenheim, but also at Ramilles, Ourdenarde and Malplaquet. Meanwhile, on the domestic front, his wife, the beautiful but intemperate Sarah Jennings, later Duchess of Marlbourough, became a "favorite" of Queen Anne and secured for him (at least for most of the war) the political support that necessary for him to field an army on the Continent for the many years.

As a writer of history, Churchill ranks with Gibbon for his mastery of prose and his ability to use vivid imagery to hold the reader's attention to minute detail. For each year of the Spanish Succession War, Churchill opens with a strategic appreciation of how the Anglo-Austrian forces plotted out each year's campaigns, and goes to great pains to explain the reasons behind Marlborough's various deployments. And he paints on a simply massive canvas: he begins with a detailed account of Charles II's Restoration, of James II's abortive reign (and Marlborough's role in ending it), of William III and Mary II's joint reign (Churchill is NOT a fan of William and Mary) and of the underlying workings of the French monarchy. He is not afraid to address the various failings in Marlborough's character, particularly his secret negotiations with both the enemy and the exiled Stuarts, but does seek to defend Marlborough (and Sarah) from the more libellous charges.

This book was written in the 1930s, politically Churchill's decade of exile (and personally, his worst years of depression). If everyone turned unemployment, financial crisis and depression to such good use, the world would be a far better place.

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Summary: Other issues
Review: Marlborough was a courtier all his life, with all the risks that came with such a position - in the end he paid for royal disfavor. Not even falling on his knees - he could have knocked two holes on the marble floor - made much difference to a Queen bent on revenge.....over his wife's arrogance. Sir Winston calls this episode "painful to record" and an "unnatural spectacle" which "reduces the stature of a soldier [literally!]." (Book Two, p. 796-7) I agree: Marlborough lacked that unique quality in his character which comes with real power, which in a sense he never had. This is one point of major divergence between the two Churchills. Winston had backbone - he was the supreme leader of his country, acted like one, and treated his king with respect but no fear. Marlborough feared his Queen AND his wife. But Marlborough lived in different times, when the monarch still had some residual power, and much of his own influence with Anne depended on his wife's relations with her. It is interesting to recall how some men of war were also men of power. Genghis Khan feared no one (with the possible exception of his own mother). Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose from even humbler roots than Marlborough's to de facto shogun of Japan. He was carefully respectful of the emperor, but everybody knew who was the real boss. By the 19th century, Wellington enjoyed a similar privilege in England.

Note: what amazon.com presents as "Volume I" is actually "Book One" - this biography is divided into two "books," each of which is subdivided into two "volumes," One and Two, and Three and Four. For me Book One is the more interesting "volume." Also, the birth year for Marlborough given in the product description is wrong. He was born in 1650, not 1644.

Rating:
Summary: Another thought.....
Review: On re-reading I find Marlborough's contrasts with Wellington amusing, almost grotesque.

Marlborough was charm itself, Wellington coarse and foul-mouthed.

"Corporal John" was very careful with casualties (English, if not French), but the Iron Duke of course was callous to the point of carelessness, constantly calling his men "scum." (He would make a fine modern Russian general - I wonder what kind of impression he made on Kutuzov!). He treated officers differently.

Marlborough was born in straitened circumstances, Wellington in wealth and status.

Marlborough was a courtier all his life, with all the risks that came with such a position - in the end he paid for royal disfavor. Not even falling on his knees - he could have knocked two holes on the marble floor - made much difference to a Queen bent on revenge.....for his wife's misdeeds. Sir Winston calls this episode "painful to record" and an "unnatural spectacle" which "reduces the stature of a soldier [literally!]." (Book Two, p. 796-7) Wellington? The Big Nose treated HIS sovereigns with ill-concealed contempt (for good reasons, I might add) mixed with the occasional insults - unthinkable for Marlborough's character and times.

Last and above all, Marlborough's fame rested on a string of great victories - ten in all I think - while Wellington's one and only victory, a near-run thing even with Bluecher's help, made him immortal. Wellington was further assisted by the fact that Napoleon was not himself that day.

No wonder Marlborough was admired even by Louis XIV, while Napoleon turned purple at the mere mention of Wellington's name. (He did admire Nelson though.) Marlborough and Eugene thwarted Louis's ambitions, but the conqueror of Napoleon was surely Napoleon's own folly.

Why then is Marlborough less famous than Wellington, even in Britain? If I have to guess, it is because of Bonaparte's far greater importance than the Sun King's.

This book will give you hours of pleasure, especially if you keep at the back of your mind the lives of Wellington, Winston Churchill, etc., who are Marlborough's dramatic contrasts in many ways.

Maurice Ashley, who for four years did the bulk of the original research for Winston Churchill in writing this book, wrote his own biography of Marlborough, which I must confess I have not read (it may be available from amazon.com). No doubt it casts the great man in a different, perhaps even more disinterested light.

(Note: what amazon.com presents as "Volume I" is actually "Book One" - this biography is divided into two "books," each of which is subdivided into two "volumes," One and Two, and Three and Four. For me Book One is the more interesting "volume.")

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Summary: I have to defend wellington from such major historical
Review: oversight.

''one and only victory''?
What about the penninsular war, Between 1808-14 Wellingtons army fought up the spanish penninsular all the way to France constantly beating such noted Marshalls as Massena and Soult, battles include: Talavera, Vimeiro, Salamanca, Victoria and the sieges: Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz to name a few.
He didn't even consider Waterloo to be his greatest victory.
Wellington is the only general to have successfully came up with a tactic to beat the revolutionary armees (using line formations versus French coloums and obscuring his armys behind obstacles)therefore desrves praise.

Wellington only once called his men ''scum of the earth'' this was in relation to the english recruiting methods (picking up drunks, prisoners) so it is true, his armys where riff raff though by 1814 he called them ''the finest fighting force in the world''.

Churchills books are incredible,sorry for the off topic review.
Marlborough was a brilliant Commander. It was Wellington who said ''i can think of nothing finer then Marlborough at the head of a English army''

Rating:
Summary: I have to defend wellington from such major historical
Review: oversight.

''one and only victory''?
What about the penninsular war, Between 1808-14 Wellingtons army fought up the spanish penninsular all the way to France constantly beating such noted Marshalls as Massena and Soult, battles in: Salamanca, Corrunna, Rolica and sieges: Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz to name a few.
He didn't even consider Waterloo to be his greatest victory.
Wellington is the only general to have successfully came up with a tactic to beat the revolutionary armees (using line formations versus French coloums and obscuring his armys behind obstacles)therefore desrves praise.

Wellington only once called his men ''scum of the earth'' this was in relation to the english recruiting methods (picking up drunks, prisoners) so it is true, his armys where riff raff though by 1814 he called them ''the finest fighting force in the world''

I've never considered Wellesly to have a big nose, are you not getting him confused with Nelson?

Churchills books are incredible.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: The name John Churchill, the First Duke of Marlborough (correctly pronounced, somewhat like "MO-bara"), may not ring a bell among many of my American friends - except for those interested in history. It is true that he never achieved the worldwide fame enjoyed by his descendant and worshipper, Sir Winston Churchill, who is the author of this book and his unofficially official biographer. Neverthless Marlborough it was who gave the British lion its first roar - while Sir Winston gave it its very last.

It's not difficult to see why Sir Winston admired John. In his own day Marlborough was the greatest Englishman, the best general, and the finest diplomat of Europe. His spectacular victory at Blenheim was one of the world's most significant. He fought many battles; invincible, he won them all (about ten major ones including the sieges). For this he was granted a magnificent home (out of a royal estate) named the Blenheim Palace (for its size to call it anything else would be a misnomer) - in which Sir Winston himself was later born. Like his younger contemporary Frederick the Great (one of my heroes), Marlborough was truly impressive in all aspects of warmaking: strategy, tactics, field command, logistics, diplomacy, personnel, intelligence. Like Frederick he was personally and physically brave (if a little LESS reckless). And like Frederick he had to run a country at the same time. In one way though Marlborough was even greater than Frederick - he never lost a battle.

It is true that without Prince Eugene, Marlborough would not have succeeded the way he did. (And historically Eugene is ranked even higher than Marlborough among the great captains in history). But Marlborough was also superb. To quote G. M. Trevelyan: "Marlborough as a military strategist and tactician, as a war statesman and war diplomatist, stands second to no Englishman in history." Except in naval warfare, Marlborough is the finest professional soldier in British history.

Striking was Marlborough's dependence on several women in his life, to whom he owed his entire career: his own sister, who got him his first job (as a lowly page to the Prince of Wales); the Duchess of Cleveland, who lavished money on him for his exceptional "services"; Sarah Jennings, his wife, who rose from equally humble background to be politically important; and Queen Anne, who made him Duke and head of the English army. A genius in war, he was also lucky in love. Stunningly handsome, he matched his looks with flawless manners plus sparkling intelligence; not surprisingly his charm was irresistible to women (and, as has been pointed out, men too). Yet he had a happy marriage. (His wife, a tremendous beauty in her own right, lived in constant if unfounded fear of his infidelity. Though the youthful Marlborough probably had an illegit daughter with Cleveland, he was no Casanova in married life.)

That Marlborough was a genius and his life a phenomenal success story, no one can deny. But in the interests of family loyalty as well as personal devotion Sir Winston was willing to turn a blind eye to some of Marlborough's faults: his insatiable financial greed, his manipulativeness, his tightfistedness with money, his suspect honesty, his all-consuming ambitions, his inability to write in literate English. But as I am a fan of Marlborough's myself, I do not blame Sir Winston. I only wish to add that his one-sided account, though the best, does not provide a complete picture. For his unreliable political loyalty the young Earl of Marlborough was once sent to the Tower for about two months, during which time his life hanged in the balance. (This experience turned out to be fortunate, as many of his fellow generals were killed at this same time fighting in continental Europe.)

It's puzzling to me how with increasing age, fame and fortune Marlborough's thick skin, which had served him well in his youth, got thinner and thinner, until he was almost destroyed by his sensitivity to criticisms. Too bad, because his political enemies were so unworthy compared to him. He gave himself a stroke and that was the end of his career.

No admirer of Sir Winston's, I nonetheless recommend this book very highly. It is extremely well-written. Be sure to get both volumes. And pay particular attention to the military campaigns - these are true masterpieces of historical writing. If you must choose, however, get vol.1 - it has the best actions, including the high points of his career: marriage to Sarah, the meteoric rise, the Garter, Blenheim, the Dukedom. The chapter entitled "Avarice and Charm" - two aspects of his personality - is particularly interesting.

Not for nothing did Winston Churchill win the Nobel Prize for Literature, and by common consent "Marlborough" was his best work.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: The name John Churchill, the First Duke of Marlborough (correctly pronounced: "MO-bra"), may not ring a bell among many of my American friends - except for those interested in history. It is true that he never achieved the worldwide fame enjoyed by his descendant and worshipper, Sir Winston Churchill, who is the author of this book and his unofficially official biographer. Neverthless Marlborough it was who gave the British lion its first roar - while Sir Winston gave it its very last.

It's not difficult to see why Sir Winston admired John. In his own day Marlborough was the greatest Englishman, the best general, and the finest diplomat of Europe. His spectacular victory at Blenheim was one of the world's most significant. He fought many battles; invincible, he won them all. For this he was granted a magnificent home named the Blenheim Palace (for its size to call it anything else would be a misnomer) - in which Sir Winston himself was later born. Like his younger contemporary Frederick the Great (one of my heroes), Marlborough was truly impressive in all aspects of warmaking: strategy, tactics, field command, logistics, diplomacy, personnel, intelligence. Like Frederick he was personally and physically brave (if a little LESS reckless). And like Frederick he had to run a country at the same time. In one way though Marlborough was even greater than Frederick - he never lost a battle.

It is true that without Prince Eugene, Marlborough would not have succeeded the way he did. But his prowess on the battlefield should rank him among the greatest commanders in history.

Striking was Marlborough's dependence on several women in his life, to whom he owed his entire career: his own sister, who got him his first job (as a lowly page to the Prince of Wales); the Duchess of Cleveland, who lavished money on him for his exceptional "services"; Sarah Jennings, his wife, who rose from equally humble background to be politically important; and Queen Anne, who made him Duke and head of the English army. A genius in war, he was also lucky in love. Stunningly handsome, he matched his looks with flawless manners plus sparkling intelligence; not surprisingly his charm was irresistible to women (and, as has been pointed out, men too). Yet he had a happy marriage. (His wife, a tremendous beauty in her own right, lived in constant if unfounded fear of his infidelity. Though the youthful Marlborough had a bastard daughter with Cleveland, he was no Casanova in married life.)

That Marlborough was a genius and his life a phenomenal success story, no one can deny. But in the interests of family loyalty as well as personal devotion Sir Winston was willing to turn a blind eye to some of Marlborough's faults: his insatiable financial greed, his manipulativeness, his tightfistedness with money, his suspect honesty, his all-consuming ambitions, his inability to write in literate English. But as I am a fan of Marlborough's myself, I do not blame Sir Winston. I only wish to add that his one-sided account, though the best, does not provide a complete picture.

It's puzzling to me how with increasing age, fame and fortune Marlborough's thick skin, which had served him well in his youth, got thinner and thinner, until he was almost destroyed by his sensitivity to criticisms. Too bad, because his political enemies were so unworthy compared to him. A ruthless man (though not necessarily a Stalin) would have been aggressive and hounded his enemies to THEIR death, but Marlborough lacked this killer instinct......all the stranger for a soldier! Instead he gave himself a stroke and that was the end of his career.

No admirer of Sir Winston's - I dislike him - I nonetheless recommend this book very highly. It is extremely well-written. Be sure to get both volumes. And pay particular attention to the military campaigns - these are true masterpieces of historical writing. If you must choose, however, get vol.1 - it has the best actions, including the high points of his career: marriage to Sarah, the meteoric rise, the Garter, Blenheim, the Dukedom. The chapter entitled "Avarice and Charm" - two aspects of his personality - is particularly interesting.

Not for nothing did Sir Winston win the Nobel Prize for Literature, and by common consent "Marlborough" was his best work.

Rating:
Summary: Churchill on Churchill
Review: Winston Spencer Churchill's biography of, his ancestor John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough stands out as a restoration of Marlborough's reputation, an account of England under the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Queen Anne, and an in-depth military and political history of the War of Spanish Succession.

WSC gives us a picture of the whole man, including his faults. One of WSC's purposes is to rescue Marlborough's reputation from the attacks of generations of historians. The book becomes a brilliant defense and of course it cannot be unbiased. WSC is Marlborough's defense attorney, not his judge.

By the 1920s, Marlborough had been called miserly, greedy, ambitious, duplicitous, disloyal and treacherous. As he recounts Marlborough's life, WSC continually picks up an episode that seemingly illustrates one of these traits, but turns it around.

Where unsympathetic historians saw miserly habits, WSC saw thrift and WSC goes further. Marlborough was miserly when it came to his own needs, such as when he insisted surgeons cut his stocking along the seem so that it could be resown. Yet he paid his army's bills and wages on time; apparently this was unusual in those days. He paid, from his own discretionary funds, which other generals often pocketed as a matter of course, for military intelligence that proved crucial to securing many of his victories.

Where accusers saw ambition needlessly prolonging a difficult war, WSC presents Marlborough has being bound by duty to achieve the best results possible, and to reject a timid peace, which would have left Europe in the hands of a despot.

WSC has a more difficult, but no less successful time defending Marlborough's continued correspondence with St-Germain, the exiled English court of James II and later his son, as recognized by Louis the XIV. The problem here is that today such acts would indeed be treason, but in the seventeenth century they were part of the normal workings of diplomacy, war time or not. After all, if passports and safe conduits were routinely given to enemies to allow them to rest and confer in between campaigns, it could not have been that unusual to keep in touch with people one knew, even if they were officially enemies.

WSC also presents Marlborough's most important relationships: with his wife Sarah Jennings; with his military ally Prince Eugene, with whom he won at Blenheim; with his political colleague Godolphin, who secured funds for his military work; with the kings and queen of England from James II to George I;

But WSC does accuse Marlborough on occasion of having been unwise. He is particularly critical of the Duke's obsession with his palace at Blenheim (where WSC himself was born). Marlborough didnft want an opulent residence, rather he wanted to leave a monument that would survive centuries and remember his name to future generations. WSC writes that as such Blenheim was a failure: it added nothing to the Duke's reputation and the worries it caused may have taken years from his life. Winston Churchill must have felt his biography was a better memorial to his ancestor.