Reviews for French Interventionism: Europe's Last Global Player?

The average rating for French Interventionism: Europe's Last Global Player? based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-05-24 00:00:00 Shangz Brown I was fortunate enough to have been a student and friend of the author, and when Iain launches this great text about Ancient Greek cavalry I was there to help facilitate it. So I am putting my bias upfront now, in case anyone wants to accuse me of being too generous or too excessive in my valuation of this book. First off, I am unaware of any other book on the subject, though I assume that there have been more recent titles since Iain's book was published in 1993. Be that as it may, I would be extremely surprised if there is a more comprehensive or well presented text on Ancient Greek cavalry. Spence's book is more than just a minor monograph that tackles relatively simple issues such as attitudes to cavalry or their importance to particular battles. It is a book that endeavours to review any and all aspects of Ancient Greek cavalry (with an obvious focus on Athenian sources and history). It is to Spence's credit that he brings together a series of linked issues and at all times makes cogent and supportable arguments as to his interpretation of the history. I would venture that Spence wrote the text about Ancient Greek cavalry and anyone following in his footsteps can only add or modify his theses. When one comes to the readability of the text, it is not as easy read though it is as accessible as it can be considering both the assumed audience as well as the expected standard of academic research and language required for the subject. There are chapters in the book that nominally bread easier than others, and these are strengthened by Spence illuminating his arguments with personal military expertise. His discussion of how the Athenian cavalry operated in the field for example is an excellent combination of theory and practical knowledge. I will admit at times the prose became a little too dense, and the extensive footnoting was more diverting than a casual reader would accept. Yet I can't fault Spence for this; I am a classics dilettante and history lover, not a student of Ancient Greek cavalry. In summary They Cavalry of Classical Greece' is a high quality text on a unique ancient history subject, and I would expect it to be the standard reference now and for many years to come. It is a remarkable legacy from a great teacher and a good friend.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-11-07 00:00:00 Robert Hartwood I read this book for an introductory graduate school class about the reading and writing of history. It's hard to pin down exactly what sub-topic of history to place this book in. On the surface, it's a book about the Brazilian military, with a specific focus on their recruitment practices. But as Beattie shows the changes to their practices over time (from impressment to a draft), he meanders through some significant periods in Brazil's history... from the colonial period, through their revolution and independent monarchy to the democratic reforms afterwards. As he does that, the book begins to feel less like a work of military history and more like a work of political or national history (even though he uses military sources throughout). Additionally, he weaves in many sources of social history (newspaper reports, popular songs, etc.) and even delves into microhistory, when he spends an entire chapter focusing on the punishment records of the army during one year. In the end, he shows that the Brazilian army evolved from a source of shame that no one would want to be involved in to a source of national pride and an instrument of Brazilian nationalism. Positives - The book is well written and draws from a wide variety of reliable sources (like newspapers, army data, primary accounts, popular songs, etc.). He breaks up his writing style between sections, shifting from narrative to topical and back to narrative. Negatives - some of the data is a bit exhaustive and some of his points a bit belabored. By including so many subfields of history, it makes the reader think "what kind of book am I reading?" which is thought provoking, but I can see where it can be a bit confusing. People who are interested in colonial and post-colonial Latin America, military history or nationalism would like this book.