Synopses & Reviews
The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 violently changed the course of European History. Alarmed by Bismarck's territorial ambitions and the Prussian army's crushing defeats of Denmark in 1864 and Austria in 1866, French Emperor Napoleon III vowed to bring Prussia to heel. Digging into many European and American archives for the first time, Geoffrey Wawro's Franco-Prussian War describes the war that followed in thrilling detail. While the armies mobilized in July 1870, the conflict appeared "too close to call." Prussia and its German allies had twice as many troops as the French. But Marshal Achille Bazaine's grognards ("old grumblers") were the stuff of legend, the most resourceful, battle-hardened, sharp-shooting troops in Europe, and they carried the best rifle in the world. From the political intrigues that began and ended the war to the bloody battles at Gravelotte and Sedan and the last murderous fights on the Loire and in Paris, this is the definitive history of the Franco-Prussian War. Dr. Geoffrey Wawro is Professor of Strategic Studies at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Wawro has published two books: The Austro-Prussian War (Cambridge, 1996) and Warfare and Society in Europe, 1792-1914 (Routledge, 2000). He has published articles in The Journal of Military History, War in History, The International History Review, The Naval War College Review, American Scholar, and the European History Quarterly, and op-eds in the Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Miami Herald, Hartford Courant, and Providence Journal. Wawro has won several academic prizes including the Austrian Cultural Institute Prize and the Society for Military History Moncado Prize for Excellence in the Writing of Military History. He has lectured widely on military innovation and international security in Europe, the U.S., and Canada and is host of the History Channel program Hardcover History--a weekly book show with leading historians, pundits, critics, statesmen and journalists.
Review
"The brief, seldom-discussed but crucial Franco-Prussian war gets its due in Wawro's gripping narrative history and analytic tour de force." Publishers Weekly"As the author of a history of the Franco-Prussian War that has held the field for some forty years, I was deeply apprehensive when I learned that Dr. Wawro was at work on another. I had good cause to be. His work is magnificent. The research is both wide and deep, the operational analysis masterly, and there is not a dull page in the book. Dr. Wawro has established himself as one of the leading military historians of his generation." Sir Michael Howard"This is an extraordinarily luminous book about not only a war but also a continent and a century. Written with verve and wit, The Franco-Prussian War harnesses scholarship and story-telling to wonderful effect. Geoffrey Wawro has given us a magnificent yarn." Rich Atkinson, author of An Army at Dawn and winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for History"Wawro combines extensive archival research with perceptive critical insight to provide fresh perspectives on a subject dominated for almost a half-century by the work of Michael Howard. The Franco-Prussian War invites and withstands comparison with Howard's classic volume." Dennis Showalter, Professor of History, Colorado College
Review
"...an accomplished work of military history that enlightens and entertains the reader in equal measure...what will likely be the new standard history of the Franco-Prussian War." Anthony J. Steinhoff, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, H-Net"The brief, seldom-discussed but crucial Franco-Prussian war gets its due in Wawro's gripping narrative history and analytic tour de force." Publishers Weekly"Warmly recommended as a model of the best of modern military history. Written with verve and a fine eye to detail, Wawro has married a compelling narrative with thoughtful and solid analysis to produce the new standard account." H-France"As the author of a history of the Franco-Prussian War that has held the field for some forty years, I was deeply apprehensive when I learned that Dr. Wawro was at work on another. I had good cause to be. His work is magnificent. The research is both wide and deep, the operational analysis masterly, and there is not a dull page in the book. Dr. Wawro has established himself as one of the leading military historians of his generation." Sir Michael Howard"This is an extraordinarily luminous book about not only a war but also a continent and a century. Written with verve and wit, The Franco-Prussian War harnesses scholarship and story-telling to wonderful effect. Geoffrey Wawro has given us a magnificent yarn." Rich Atkinson, author of An Army at Dawn and winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for History"Wawro combines extensive archival research with perceptive critical insight to provide fresh perspectives on a subject dominated for almost a half-century by the work of Michael Howard. The Franco-Prussian War invites and withstands comparison with Howard's classic volume." Dennis Showalter, Professor of History, Colorado College"Wawro has written an extraordinary history of the Franco-Prussian War, one of the most significant wars in modern European history.... Highly recommended." Choice"Military historians will be delighted by the appearance of this clear, well-written and effective operational history of the war...[Wawro] deserves congratulations for his fine narrative." Renaissance Quarterly"Wawro has...taken up the challenge, drawing on a wide range of sources to offer a brisk, readable, and sharp account." Foreign Affairs
Synopsis
The definitive history of the Franco-Prussian War that incorporates new archival research.
About the Author
Geoffrey Wawro is Professor of Strategic Studies at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. His previously published books include The Austro-Prussian War (Cambridge, 1996) and Warfare and Society in Europe, 1792-1914 (2000). He is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including the Austrian Cultural Institute Prize and the Society for Military History Moncado Prize for Excellence in the Writing of Military History. In 2002, he shared a New Orleans Press Club Award for the live NBC/History Channel coverage of the parade and opening of the D-Day Museum Pacific Wing. He is also the host and anchor of the History Channel's Hardcover History, a weekly interview show with leading historians, statesmen, and journalists.
Table of Contents
Introduction; 1. Causes of the Franco-Prussian War; 2. The armies in 1870; 3. Mobilization for war; 4. Wissembourg and Spicheren; 5. Froeschwiller; 6. Mars-la-Tour; 7. Gravelotte; 8. The road to Sedan; 9. Sedan; 10. France on the brink; 11. France falls; 12. The peace.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Geoffrey Wawro