'If it had not been for you English; I should have been Emperor of the East; but wherever there is water to float a ship; we are sure to find you in our way.' Emperor NapoleonBut just thirty-five years earlier; Britain lacked any major continental allies; and was wracked by crises and corruption. Many thought that she would follow France into revolution. The British elite had no such troubling illusions: defeat was not a possibility. Since not all shared that certainty; the resumption of the conflict and its pursuit through years of Napoleonic dominance is a remarkable story of aristocratic confidence and assertion of national superiority. Winning these wars meant ruthless imperialist expansion; spiteful political combat; working under a mad king and forging the most united national effort since the days of the Armada. And it meant setting the foundations for the greatest empire the world has ever known.
#157000 in Books One World/Ballantine 2004-12-28 2004-12-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .98 x 5.20l; 1.05 #File Name: 0345456289440 pagesGreat product!
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Interesting historyBy beachgoosesThe book is written very choppy. Jumps forward and backward in time to confuse the reader. Hard to follow with so many people having the same name or close to the same name.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. to technical for me. expected more story than factual ...By Diggieto technical for me. expected more story than factual.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I'm glad Harriet Tubman has been chosen for the $20 and ...By Marilyn HayThis is an interesting historical record/account of the life and activities of this extraordinary woman. The book shines a light on those years before the Civil War in particular; and how slaves yearned for freedom despite what the owners would have the public believe. Breaks my heart how badly so very many people were treated: brutalized; treated as less than human; families split and members sold away. I wish this dark history truly was in the past but the racism of today; the systemic racism of our society; the new slavery of our private prisons in the US ... we still have a very long way to go. We need to push harder for justice for all; a lot harder. I'm glad Harriet Tubman has been chosen for the $20 and wish her life story could be mandatory reading.
