Worldwide warfare might seem like a twentieth-century development, but the colonial empires of Europe fought wars around the globe in the eighteenth. With domains spreading to the Americas and across the Pacific Ocean to Asia, a great power such as France could find itself fighting simultaneously against England's Hanoverian king in northern Germany, in the waters of the English Channel, and on the grounds of what became Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jeremy Black explains not just the wheres and whys of those wars, but also the hows. The Age of Enlightenment on the battlefield. Diversity of tactics and weapons used around the globe. After the death of Louis XIV, French hegemony yielded to French decline and the French Revolution. Shifting balance of power sets the stage for the rise of Prussia. The American Revolution witnesses the origins of guerilla warfare.

The reviews of the first edition include: There is nothing else in print that tells so much so concisely about how war has been conducted since the days of Gen. George Washington. - Russell F. Weigley. A superior synthesis. Well written, nicely organized, remarkably comprehensive, and laced with facts. - Military Affairs. A thorough revision of a highly successful text, this new edition provides a comprehensive picture of the evolution of modern warfare. Addington discusses developments in strategies and tactics, logistics and weaponry, and provides detailed discussions of important battles and campaigns. His book is an excellent introduction for both students and the general reader. A companion volume, The Patterns of War through the Eighteenth Century, provides an overview of war and warfare in the West from ancient times to the early modern era.

The colonial empires of Europe fought wars around the globe in the 18th-century. With domains spreading to the Americas and across the Pacific Ocean to Asia, France could find itself fighting simultaneously against England¿s Hanoverian king in northern Germany, in the waters of the English Channel, and on the grounds of what became Pittsburgh, PA. This book explains the where, why, what and how of: The Age of Enlightenment on the battlefield; the Diversity of tactics and weapons used around the globe; After the death of Louis XIV, French hegemony yielded to French decline and the French Revolution; the Shifting balance of power set the stage for the rise of Prussia; and The American Revolution witnessed the origins of guerilla warfare. Illustrations.

Our understanding of warfare at sea in the eighteenth century has always been divorced from the practical realities of fighting at sea under sail; our knowledge of tactics is largely based upon the ideas of contemporary theorists rather than practitioners] who knew little of the realities of sailing warfare, and our knowledge of command is similarly flawed. In this book the author presents new evidence from contemporary sources that overturns many old assumptions and introduces a host of new ideas. In a series of thematic chapters, following the rough chronology of a sea fight from initial contact to damage repair, the author offers a dramatic interpretation of fighting at sea in the eighteenth century, and explains in greater depth than ever before how and why sea battles (including Trafalgar) were won and lost in the great Age of Sail. He explains in detail how two ships or fleets identified each other to be enemies; how and why they manoeuvred for battle; how a commander communicated his ideas, and how and why his subordinates acted in the way that they did. SAM WILLIS has lectured at Bristol University and at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. He is also the author of Fighting Ships, 1750-1850(Quercus).

In early modern Britain, there was an argument that war at sea, especially war in Spanish America, was an ideal means of warfare, offering the prospect of rich gains at relatively little cost whilst inflicting considerable damage on enemy financial resources. This book examines that argument, tracing its origin to the glorious memory of Elizabethan maritime war, discussing its supposed economic advantages, and investigating its influence on British politics and naval policy during the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-13) and after. The book reveals that the alleged economic advantages of war at sea were crucial in attracting the support of politicians of different political stances. It shows how supporters of war at sea, both in the government as well as in the opposition, tried to implement pro-maritime war policy by naval operations, colonial expeditions and by legislation, and how their attempts were often frustrated by diplomatic considerations, the incapacity of naval administration, and by conflicting interests between different groups connected to the West Indian colonies and Spanish American trade. It demonstrates how, after the War of the Spanish Succession, arguments for active colonial maritime war continued to be central to political conflict, notably in the opposition propaganda campaigns against the Walpole ministry, culminating in the War of Jenkins's Ear against Spain in 1739. The book also includes material on the South Sea Company, showing how the foundation of this company, later the subject of the notorious 'Bubble', was a logical part of British strategy. Shinsuke Satsuma completed his doctorate in maritime history at the University of Exeter.