Synopses & Reviews
An extraordinarily gripping narrative of how Britain, seemingly on the ropes after losing control of America and with growing internal dissent, built the military and naval might to defeat Napoleon—and in doing so transformed its destiny In this distinctive, sweeping history of the period, David Andress fuses two hitherto separate historical perspectives—the military and the social. Britain's defeat of Napoleon is one of the great accomplishments in the nation's history, yet it was by no means certain that Britain itself would survive the revolutionary fervor of the age, let alone emerge victorious from such a vast conflict. From the late 1790s, the country was stricken by naval mutinies, rebellion in Ireland, and riots born of hunger, poverty, and grinding injustice. As the new century opened, with republican graffiti on the walls of the cities, and revolutionary secret societies reportedly widespread, King George III only narrowly escaped assassination. Jacobin forces seemed to threaten a dissolution of the social order. Above all, the threat of French invasion was ever-present. Yet, despite all this, and new threats from royal madness and rampant corruption, Britain did not become a revolutionary republic. The elites proved remarkably resilient, and drew on the power of an already-global empire to find the strength to defeat Napoleon abroad and continued popular unrest at home. From the conditions of warfare faced by the British soldier and the great battles in which they fought, to the literary and artistic culture of the time, this is a searing narrative of dramatic events and an important reassessment of one of the most significant turning points in British history.
Review
"David Andress writes well . . . in a manner that is as thorough as it is enthusiastic, approaches his subject from a refreshing perspective and fills a serious gap in the historiography . . . should be read by all those interested in Britain's role in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars." —Literary Review
Review
"A thorough, bracing primer for students of global history." —Kirkus Reviews on 1789
Review
"Andress proves a perceptive and adroit storyteller." —Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Britain's defeat of Napoleon is one the great accomplishments in our history. And yet it was by no means certain that Britain itself would survive the revolutionary fervour of the age, let alone emerge victorious from such a vast conflict. From the late 1790s, the country was stricken by naval mutinies, rebellion in Ireland, and riots born of hunger, poverty and grinding injustice. As the new century opened, with republican graffiti on the walls of the cities, and revolutionary secret societies reportedly widespread, King George III only narrowly escaped assassination. Jacobin forces seemed to threaten a dissolution of the social order. Above all, the threat of French invasion was ever-present.
Yet, despite all this, and new threats from royal madness and rampant corruption, Britain did not become a revolutionary republic. Her elites proved remarkably resilient, and drew on the power of an already-global empire to find the strength to defeat Napoleon abroad, and continued popular unrest at home.
In this brilliant, sweeping history of the period, David Andress fuses two hitherto separate historical perspectives - the military and the social - to provide a vivid portrait of the age. From the conditions of warfare faced by the British soldier and the great battles in which they fought, to the literary and artistic culture of the time, The Savage Storm is at once a searing narrative of dramatic events and an important reassessment of one of the most significant turning points in our history.
About the Author
David Andress is Professor of Modern History at the University of Portsmouth, where he has taught since 1994. He is the author of a number of acclaimed studies of the French Revolution and its international context, including The French Revolution and the People (2004), The Terror (2005), and 1789 (2008). As well as broadening his writing interests to embrace the British Isles, he is currently editing the Oxford Handbook of the French Revolution.