Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire - Softcover

David, Saul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141005556 ISBN 13: 9780141005553

Publisher: Penguin, 2007

Synopsis

In Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire Saul David explores the early part of Queen Victoria's reign,when the British Empire was well on the way to becoming the greatest empire the world had ever seen.

This is the story of how it happened and the people who made it happen. In a fast-moving narrative ranging from London to the harsh terrain of India, Russia and the Far East, Saul David shows how Britain ruthlessly exploited her position as the world's only superpower to expand her empire. Yet little of this territorial acquisition was planned or sanctioned by the home government. Instead it was largely the work of the men on the ground, and to those at home it really did seem that the empire was acquired in a 'fit of absence of mind'. Saul David creates a vivid portrait of life on the violent fringes of empire, and of the seemingly endless and brutal wars that were fought in the name of trade, civilization and the balance of power.

'Splendid . . . a terrific treasure-chest of anecdotes . . . a splendidly brisk, cool and judicious narrator' Daily Telegraph

'Incisive and acute . . . thorough and occasionally revelatory, [David] always finds a telling phrase, an eye-catching detail or a human story' Sunday Times

Saul David is Professor of War Studies at the University of Buckingham and the author of several critically acclaimed history books, including The Indian Mutiny: 1857 (shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature), Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year) and, most recently, Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire.

About this title

Review:

Splendid . . . a terrific treasure-chest of anecdotes . . . a splendidly brisk, cool and judicious narrator (Daily Telegraph)

Incisive and acute . . . thorough and occasionally revelatory, [David] always finds a telling phrase, an eye-catching detail or a human story (Sunday Times)

From the Publisher:

Previous praise for Saul David:
‘Riveting. Forget almost everything you thought you knew about the Zulu War. Saul David has provided another fine revisionist account of one of Queen Victoria's short but viscious wars' Andrew Roberts, 'Sunday Telegraph' (on Zulu)
'Thoroughly researched, clearly and honestly presented, this is the best account of the subject I have read' Adam Zamoyski, 'Sunday Times' (on Zulu)
‘A remarkable work by a huge new talent’ William Dalrymple, 'Sunday Times' (on The Indian Mutiny)

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0141005556
• ISBN 13: 9780141005553
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 560