The Fall of Toulon: The Last Opportunity to Defeat the French Revolution

by Bernard Ireland

Book Overview

Bernard Ireland's popular and accessible account of the fall of Toulon brings to life a savage episode in European history. In the summer of 1793, French Royalists surrendered the great naval base at Toulon to the British, intending this to be the springboard for a full-scale counter-revolution. The story of Royalist dashed hopes, and the securing of the Revolution, is one of treason mixed with heroism, along with the rise of a young opportunist named...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0304367265
• ISBN13: 9780304367269
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Cassell
• Length: 319 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.3" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Expertly written but not much of Bonaparte in its pages

This book surely surprises the reader with the depth of knowledge that Mr Ireland has on the subject. After an introduction about the general situation of France in 1793 and the Revolution affairs, he devotes two chapters to analyse the conditions of the French and Royal Navy in the same period, presenting many interesting and unknown details. The real sory about the Toulon siege begins after half the pages and the name of Bonaparte comes on the surface only a few times. The author deals mainly with the "allied" side explaining the decisions made by Admiral Hood, his officers and the British and Spanish generals. Carteaux, Doppe and Dumourie are somehow second rate figures as is the French republican army as a whole. There are a few nice black & white maps with all the relevant geographical points and some pages with excellent colour photographs, mainly of old paintings. Despite the Bonaparte ommision, this is a tremendous book about the fall of Toulon and highly recommended.